Some rounds feature fireworks from the opening bell. Others take a little while to percolate, such as Round 6 of the world title fight between Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero.
12 Rounds of Christmas 2016: Round 6
With Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s vacated 147-pound title on the line on January 23 in Los Angeles, Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero were essentially even on the scorecards through five rounds. Make that 5½ rounds, as neither former champion did much to seize control of Round 6 until the midpoint of the stanza. That’s when Garcia started to get busy.
First, the former 140-pound titleholder landed a solid left uppercut with Guerrero on the ropes, followed moments later by a three-punch combination in the center of the ring.
Ever the warrior, Guerrero continued to come forward as the round progressed—and Garcia continued to potshot him, first with a right cross-left hook combination, then a guard-splitting straight right hand to the nose, then another combination.
With the round coming to a close and both fighters again in the center of the ring, Garcia put an exclamation point on a dominant three minutes with a sweeping overhand right that landed on the button, followed by an overhand right-left hook combination, both of which hit their target as the bell sounds.
This was the first of four consecutive rounds in which all three judges sided with Garcia, who went on to prevail 116-112 three times.
When he looks back at the victory that made him a two-time world champion, Garcia will forever see Round 6 as the turning point, when the Philadelphia native’s vast array of skills were on full display. So, too, Guerrero’s toughness.
For a complete recap of Garcia vs Guerrero, visit our fight page. And to view this year’s 12 Rounds of Christmas series, head over to our video page.
