Eridson Garcia’s Upset Creates A Promotional Problem

Eridson Garcia was supposed to provide another knockout for Alan Chaves. Instead, he dropped Matchroom’s highly ranked lightweight four times and turned a 7-to-1 underdog role into the biggest win of his career.

BiYu Promotions now believes Eridson belongs in meaningful fights against leading lightweights after his dominant unanimous decision last Friday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

With scores of 99-87, 99-88, and 98-88, Garcia (24-2, 14 KOs) captured the IBF International and WBO Latino lightweight titles. Those regional belts are less important than how thoroughly he dismantled Chaves, who arrived with a 22-0 record and 19 knockouts.

This was not a disputed decision or one fortunate punch. Eridson floored Chaves in the second, dropped him twice in the fifth, and sent him down again in the ninth. His jab controlled the distance, while his movement prevented Chaves from setting his feet and unloading his power.

Matchroom had every reason to believe Chaves was progressing toward a world title opportunity. He was ranked No. 2 by the WBO, No. 4 by the IBF, and No. 7 by the WBC before the fight. He also had a third-round knockout of Miguel Madueno that helped earn him a promotional contract. Those plans were wrecked in 10 rounds.

Treating Garcia like an ordinary record builder proved to be a matchmaking mistake for Chaves and his promoters at Matchroom.

A decision loss to highly ranked Andres Cortes in April did not make Eridson harmless. He had also defeated Japanese prospect Taiga Imanaga by split decision in December 2025. Those fights gave him experience against opponents with far more technical ability than much of Chaves’ earlier opposition.

Before stopping Madueno in Las Vegas, Chaves had built an intimidating knockout record in Argentina. His power did not help once Garcia refused to remain directly in front of him.

Rather than cutting off the ring, Chaves followed his opponent. He struggled to adjust his feet against another southpaw and repeatedly walked into Garcia’s jab and lead hook. Once the first knockdown damaged his confidence, he became increasingly hesitant about closing the distance.

“This is not the Alan Chaves we are accustomed to seeing,” commentator Sergio Mora observed during the broadcast.

Perhaps Chaves had never faced someone capable of taking away his power so completely. Eridson forced him to think before attacking, and the delay allowed the Dominican to punch first or escape before Chaves answered.

Finding a notable lightweight willing to fight Eridson next is now the problem for BiYu Promotions. At 32, Garcia owns two defeats and does not bring the financial appeal of the division’s biggest names. He is also an experienced southpaw who just demolished a 22-0 contender carrying high rankings and Matchroom’s backing.

Those circumstances make him useful as an opponent but dangerous as an investment. Golden Boy, Top Rank, Queensberry, and Matchroom all have younger lightweights whose careers would suffer from the type of beating Chaves received.

“I knew people were looking at the odds and saying I was the underdog, but I never looked at myself that way,” Eridson said. “I respected Chaves because he was undefeated and had tremendous punching power, but I believed in my skills and in the work we put in. From the first round, I felt comfortable. My jab was working, my movement was there, and I was seeing everything clearly. I stayed disciplined and followed the game plan.”

After scoring the knockdowns, Eridson maintained his control. He returned to his jab, moved after punching, and refused to chase a stoppage. Chaves never received the stationary exchanges he needed to recover his authority.

BiYu Promotions intends to use the win to secure another important fight, but beating Chaves does not send Eridson directly to Abdullah Mason, William Zepeda, or another lightweight champion.

The realistic target is a fringe contender, an eliminator, or another highly regarded fighter whose promoter needs a serious test. Another performance at this level would show that the Chaves victory was the start of a late-career rise rather than one exceptional night against an opponent who was not ready for his style.

Matchroom now has an uncomfortable choice. It can move away from Eridson after he defeated Chaves, or bring him back against another one of its lightweights and risk losing a second investment.

One victory has not made Garcia a star. It has made him something promoters often dislike: a capable opponent whose danger exceeds his financial value.

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