07.05.06 – By Michael Amakor: In another great fight in the Light Middleweight division, former WBA Welterweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera dropped defending champion Alejandro Garcia five times to seize his WBA Light Middleweight belt in front of his home town fans at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The judges awarded the victory to Rivera by unanimous decision scoring the bout 116-106 twice and 114-117 against Garcia.
Rivera was not out of the fight despite the knockdowns and rose up from each occasion to fire off some telling right hands that wobbled Rivera in some cases, but he was unable to capitalize on his seemingly adjudged greater power and did not see or could not prevent Rivera right hooks and crosses that landed flush, catching him in all cases, off balance sending him down and up from without his wits or senses about him long enough to change his fight plan to counter Rivera constant pressure and ring generalship..
Rivera holds down a regular job in the court system in Massachusetts and had to take time off to prepare for this fight, and it showed because he was quite sure of himself during the pre-fight interview. He also claims that he was too dehydrated in the welterweight division and had decided to move up in weight, he still made some headlines in that division and had just lost his WBA Welterweight strap in his last fight against Luis Collozo in April of 05.
He now claims to feel stronger in the Light Middleweight Division and he fought a smart tactical fight against Garcia, he better head back to the gym and get ready to be called back to duty, if Oscar De la Hoya decides to begin a new mission of unifying the division.
I have no doubt that the battle tested Rivera will hold his own after examining his record which now stands at 38 victories, 4 defeats and draw which includes stopping 24 foes inside the distance. All hail the new champ.