Garcia KOs Jackson in 2nd Round

Alex Garcia was supposed to begin cautiously in his heavyweight bout Thursday night at the Sports Arena.

His opponent, Jack Jackson, was an unknown quantity--an out-of-town boxer flown in as a last-moment replacement.

But it took only three, maybe four, seconds for Garcia to figure out his opponent. The San Fernando heavyweight’s first punch, a left hook, knocked Jackson to the canvas.

“I just looked at him, at where his hands were, and knew that he was expecting a jab,” Garcia said. “So I threw the hook.”

Jackson got to his feet, but responded to Garcia’s attack with moves most often seen on big-time wrestling. The fight ended by knockout at 2:24 of the second round with another convincing left hook.

Garcia’s record improved to 10-0 with seven knockouts. Jackson, of Atlanta, fell to 9-7-1 with five knockouts.

It appeared to be that first punch that knocked the fight out of Jackson. If not that, it was a crushing punch at the bell of the first round.

“In the second round, he came out winging, trying to catch me with a wild punch,” Garcia said. “I just tried to take my time to finish him off.”

For a boxer who scores his first knockdown in four seconds, “taking my time” translates into nearly 2 1/2 minutes.

Garcia came into the bout weighing 226--4 1/2 pounds heavier than he had ever weighed for a fight. Just a week ago, the former national amateur super-heavyweight champion weighed 230.

“I’m not worried,” said his manager, Blinky Rodriguez. “He’s not looking like a big old fat slob. He’s looking sharp.”

And Garcia had some added incentive. The last time he fought in this building, several months ago, he scored a second-round knockout in memory of his father, who had died shortly before the fight.

Thursday night, he had entirely different inspiration: Garcia’s girlfriend, Eva Chavez, is expecting their first child in November.

“I tell him that in the ring,” Rodriguez said. “I tell him that this one is for the one in the oven.”