Miguel Ángel García (boxer)

Miguel Ángel García Cortez (* 15 December 1987 in Ventura, California) is an American professional boxer of Mexican descent, former world champion of the WBO featherweight and current WBO world champion in the super featherweight.

Private

Miguel García is a graduate of the Police Academy of Ventura County. He is coached by his father Eduardo Garcia, who has already worked with world champions like Fernando Vargas and Brandon Rios. His older brother Roberto García is a former IBF world champion in the super featherweight and also boxing coach. Were among his protégés or include Nonito Donaire, Kelly Pavlik, Antonio Margarito and Marcos René Maidana.

Boxing career

Miguel García began at the age of 14 years with the amateur boxing. He won in the weight class 132 lbs (lightweight ) represent the gold medal at the National Junior Golden Gloves 2004 and the National Police Athletic League Championships (PAL) 2005 and the bronze medal at the National Golden Gloves in 2005. His amateur record there is also a victory against Danny Garcia.

Still in 2006, he became a professional and won his Prodebüt on July 14 in Montebello against Domingo Mendoza. Besides a number of construction victories he won in May 2008 against Robinson Castellanos, who later became World Championship silver title holder of the WBC featherweight. In June 2008, he won against the South Korean champion and Pan -Pacific title holder of the IBF, Lee Jae- Sung. On 31 October 2008 he defeated in Las Vegas Colombian world title challenger Walter Estrada ( Record: 34-6 ) by unanimous decision.

After 20 won fights in a row, 17 of them prematurely, he pushed on April 3, 2010 in Corpus Christi for the vacant U.S. Championship at featherweight. He defeated while Tomas Villa ( 22-6 ) by t.K.o. in the first round. In May 2010, he also won unanimously against Pedro Navarrete ( 24-7 ). On 14 August 2010 he suggested Cornelius Lock by TKO in the eleventh round and thus prevented an IBF title shot of the North American master.

Through a knockout win against the Canadians Olivier Lontchi (18-1 ), Miguel García received on March 26, 2011 in Atlantic City a fight against the undefeated Matt Remillard ( 23-0 ). It was about the North American championship title NABF and NABO the featherweight. García had his opponent three times on the ground and eventually won early in the tenth round, as the corner of Remillard gave up the fight. On June 4, 2011, he defended both titles by Ko in the fourth round against Rafaël Guzmán ( 28-2 ) and on 10 March 2012 by TKO in the seventh round against Bernabe Concepcion ( 30-5 ).

Through a TKO victory in the eighth round against Jonathan Victor Barros ( 34-3, former WBA champion ), he received on 19 January 2013 at Madison Square Garden in New York City a WBO world title chance against the Mexican Orlando Salido ( 39-11 ). This had indeed already accumulated eleven defeats in his professional record, but these are almost exclusively at the beginning of his career. Since October 2008, Salido had won eight of his nine battles and to get the championship belt to the IBF and WBO. Not only his case won, two early victories against the undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez, he was led by Ring Magazine at number 1 in the world rankings.

García dominated the fight clearly and scored in the first four rounds of four rainfall, including two in the first round. In the eighth round, there was an accidental clash with the heads, making the fight was finally stopped on advice of the ringside physician. García had a nasal bone fracture, Salido suffered by the collision through the impact of a fracture of the right orbit. After evaluation of the score sheet on which unanimously García was in the lead with 79:69-79:69-79:70, Miguel Ángel García was declared the new champion and received Salidos placement as number 1 in the world rankings of Ring Magazine.

On June 15, 2013, he defeated Juan Manuel Lopez ( 33-2 ) by TKO then in the fourth round and rose to the super featherweight. There he stepped on 9 November 2013, the same against the reigning WBO champion in this weight class, the Puerto ricaner Román Martínez (27-1 ) and won the fight by a knockout win in the eighth round.

The title he defended the first time on January 25, 2014 by unanimous decision against Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1 ).