Forrest Stings Garcia in 10

TEMECULA, CA - Former WBC welterweight champion Vernon Forrest took another strong step in his comeback by stopping Elco Garcia in the 10th and final round of their junior middleweight bout Friday night.

Garcia, of Durango, Colo., seemed to stun Forrest in the 10th round with a right hand and the fighters then exchanged punches. Forrest, of Atlanta, swung and missed and was left off balance, prompting referee Pat Russell to signal that it was not a knockout.

Forrest then picked himself up, rushed across the ring and punched an unsuspecting Garcia with a left hand. An ensuing left hand put Garcia down in a corner and the bout was stopped at the 1:58 mark of the round.

Forrest lost his WBC title in January 2003 to Ricardo Mayorga and dropped the rematch as well. He was inactive for two years due to surgeries to his left elbow and shoulder.

Forrest launched a comeback in July 2005 and the win was his second straight.

Both fighters weighed in at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds.

Forrest, 34, improved to 37-2 with 28 wins by knockout. Garcia dropped to 18-4 with 8 wins by knockout.

Kevin Atkins
California Correspondent

Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.