Hyde backs Garcia to have summer blockbuster

LOUIS GARCIA could challenge for a world title before the end of the summer, according to promoter/manager, Gary Hyde.

It took the former world junior champion a mere 1 min and 28 secs to stop the former South American super-middleweight champion, Nestor Fabian Casanova, in Cork on Saturday night. And now he is preparing to face the man who has beaten Casanova twice in recent times, Ruben Eduardo Acosta, in the Algarve on May 29.

Both Garcia and his Cuban compatriot, super-bantamweight Alexei Acosta, have been pencilled in for that bill but the attention will be on Garcia, who will catapult himself into the top 20 in the world if he beats the Argentinian.

“Saturday night’s victory should position Luis in the top 90 super-middleweights in the world — Casanova was 90 — but we are still awaiting the new ratings,” Hyde said.

“His next opponent is 22 in the world rankings — he won over 12 rounds on Saturday night as well — so a victory would put Luis as an obvious mandatory challenger.

However, Hyde dismissed speculation a clash with Olympic bronze medallist, Darren Sutherland, could be on the horizon.

“That’s not the case at all,” he said. “Darren is a great guy and a great fighter. Luis has sparred him and it was exciting. But Frank Maloney is one of the shrewdest promoters in the business and he knows what is good for Darren. He knows he does not need to box Luis Garcia to fill an arena.

“Maybe, some day, Luis and Darren will touch gloves but if they do I would predict it will be for a major title and just think what that would mean to Ireland, to Dublin and to Cork.”

Alexei Acosta’s right had was perfect after Saturday night’s demolition job on Sergio Victor Caruso — it took 2 mins 46 secs — and he will be back in training along with Garcia tomorrow.

He, too, will box in the Algarve and it appears as if his opponent will be Damian David Marchiano who played a major role in Bernard Dunne’s rehabilitation programme when he took him the distance in Dublin last July.

Good news for Gary Hyde yesterday was that the fights will be televised on ESPN and on terrestrial television in Spain.