Eridson Garcia (24-2, 14 KOs) wrecked Eddie Hearn’s plans for Alan “Veneno” Chaves (22-1, 19 KOs), dropping the heavily favored lightweight four times on his way to a wide unanimous decision at the Prudential Center in Newark. The scores were 99-87, 99-88, and 98-88.
Chaves looked utterly confused by Garcia’s style from the opening round. The 25-year-old Argentinian could not solve the southpaw stance, repeatedly walked into right hooks, and offered no answer when Garcia attacked his body. Rather than adjust, Chaves continued following him around and waiting too long to throw.
Garcia floored Chaves in the second round and nearly put him down again in round four. Things grew worse in the fifth, when Chaves took a knee before hitting the canvas again moments later. In the ninth, Chaves went down again after eating a left from Garcia.
The referee Albert Earn Brown looked like he was ready to stop the contest after Chaves was dropped in round nine. By that stage, the fight had become less about who would win and more about whether Chaves would survive the full 10 rounds. You got to give Chaves credit for being a warrior to toughen it out, but there are no words to describe how one-sided this fight was. Chaves looked like he didn’t belong in the same ring with Eridson. The size advantage Eridson had was noticeable. He looked like he’d rehydrated to a welterweight, and appeared considerably bigger than Chavez.
Matchroom’s Lightweight Plans Take a Hit
Chaves was completely out of his league against a 32-year-old opponent brought in to test him. Garcia was quicker, smarter, and far more comfortable during every phase of the fight. Hearn recently signed Chaves to Matchroom and regarded him as a future lightweight star, but this performance exposed how far he is from competing with the division’s better fighters.
The result makes retaining Andy Cruz even more important for Hearn. Matchroom has spent time and money developing Cruz, yet the Cuban is unhappy with the promotion and has discussed becoming a free agent. Watching Chaves fall apart against Garcia should erase any thought that Matchroom can afford to lose its best lightweight.
Cruz would likely have cleaned Eridson out tonight. His timing, footwork, defensive awareness, and ability to read a southpaw would have made this a completely different fight. Chaves had none of those answers, and Eridson made him pay for it from the first bell to the last.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/04 at 10:55 PM
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