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Bring on March 4.Welterweight world titleholder Danny Garcia plowed through huge underdog Samuel Vargas with ease, knocking him out in the seventh round of a nontitle fight Saturday at Temple Universitys Liacouras Center in Philadelphia to set up big business next year.The victory in the tune-up fight of the Premier Boxing Champions card in Garcias hometown was the final hurdle before a hugely anticipated world title unification fight against Keith Thurman, who joined the Spike broadcast team, on March 4 at a venue to be determined.Regardless of where the fight takes place, the Thurman-Garcia fight is one of the most eagerly anticipated in boxing and a showdown between two of the best in the deep 147-pound weight division. They did their part to drum up interest with Garcia pummeling the hapless Vargas and then getting into a verbal confrontation and going nose to nose during a joint post-fight interview in the ring.First Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) had to dispose of Vargas (25-3-1, 13 KOs), and he did so easily in a one-sided destruction.Just before the bell ended the second round, Garcia sent Vargas tumbling to the mat on the end of a powerful right hand. He barely beat the count, getting up just as referee Gary Rosato was about to finish the 10-count.By the third round, Vargas left eye was black and blue and swelling. Garcia continued to pound him round after round and even threw him to the canvas like a rag doll during the seventh round, which drew a stern warning from Rosato.Later in the seventh round, Garcia, 28, blasted Vargas, 27, who is from Colombia and fights out of Toronto, with two left hooks along the ropes and then fired six more hard shots. Vargas was in bad shape, and Rosato jumped in to wave off the fight at 2 minutes, 17 seconds, just as Vargas corner was throwing in the towel.I got beat up in there, Vargas said. It takes a lot of courage to come to North Philadelphia and fight the champ. It just wasnt my night. Ive been hit harder before, but it was the accumulation of punches that got to me.I thought hed be a heavier hitter. Hes a great fighter and a great person for his city. I will be back. This was a great experience.With Vargas dismissed, it didnt take long to bring the hype for March 4. Garcia stormed to the ring ropes and peered down at Thurman at his broadcast position and began to jaw with him.Ive been waiting for this, man, Thurman said. I asked for this fight this year. This is what his team wanted -- they wanted a tune-up. I was ready this year. He got to put on a nice performance for his fans. He got his confidence. He feels strong. He got his daddy [trainer Angel Garcia] in his ear talking and pumping him. This is going to be the third daddys boy that I beat. Believe that.Later, Thurman assessed Garcias performance.Danny looked strong. He always looks strong when hes sitting there flat-footed and letting big hooks go, Thurman said. His opposition was never a threat to him at any point. Danny had a decent victory. They said that he wanted to tune up. Now hes ready to come see me.You have two big punchers on March 4. I dont see how the fight can go 12 rounds. Danny, in my opinion, is someone who has been slightly exposed in the past. I see myself as the best competition that Danny has ever faced. He may see himself as the best fighter Ive faced. But I believe that Danny Garcia is actually going to have a problem with many true welterweights. I think my counters and my power is going to be the ultimate game-changer.Garcia, the former unified junior welterweight world champion, vacated his titles and moved up to welterweight in mid-2015. In January, he easily outpointed Thurman victim Robert Guerrero to win a vacant welterweight title, one of the belts Floyd Mayweather vacated upon his retirement.Garcia had not fought since then and wanted a tune-up fight to get ready for Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs), 27, of Clearwater, Florida.I came here to do what I did today. I havent fought since January. I came to get some good rounds in and knock my opponent out at the end, and thats what I did, Garcia said.When asked about the impending Thurman bout, Garcia whipped his hometown fans into a frenzy.Philly, if you all want to see me whip this guys ass, make some noise, Garcia shouted to the crowd on the open mic.The crowd went wild.Im gonna whup him, Garcia said. Theres not much more to say. He got what he asked for, and now hes going to face a real big dog. March 4 fans can expect what they always get from me. Its going to be fireworks. Im a Philly champion. I have the heart of a champion, and Im coming to win and unify titles.Thurman had entered the ring and was standing just feet away from him when he responded, Im a different caliber. Im not no cherry [picker]. Im no easy pickins, boy.Then they went nose-to-nose, yelling at each other.Danny can talk whatever he wants, and Angel can say whatever he wants, Thurman said. They can talk smack all day, but I know for a fact that everyone who faces Keith Thurman will tell you that Im the hardest puncher theyve faced.To be continued March 4.Hurd hammers DanHot junior middleweight prospect Jarrett Hurd (19-0, 13 KOs) dominated the smaller Jo Jo Dan (35-4, 18 KOs), a longtime fringe welterweight contender and late replacement coming off a 14-month layoff, en route to a sixth-round knockout in the co-feature.Hurd, 26, of Accokeek, Maryland, laid a beating on Dan, 35, a former welterweight world title challenger from Romania and living in Montreal. He bashed Dan, a southpaw, repeatedly with heavy right hands. A terrible right hand way below the belt in the third round took a lot of starch out of Dan, who went down to the mat and was in agony. Although Hurds punches were powerful, Dan, who looked much smaller, could not inflict any damage with his shots.In the sixth round, Hurd badly rocked Dan with a right hand and then landed several more punches, which prompted trainer Howard Grant to throw in the towel and referee Benjy Esteves Jr. to wave off the fight at 1 minute, 6 seconds.He was wobbly and shaky, Hurd said. I probably would have taken him out in the next round. We knew he was a crafty southpaw. We wanted to take our time because we didnt know how he would come out. We felt him out at first. We didnt think hed come in as much. I thought hed try to move around. But he brought the fight a little closer than I expected.This does a lot for me. These fights Im getting are bringing me closer to the belt. Hopefully, this moves me up the rankings. There are a lot of great fighters in this division, and whoever I can get in there with, Ill be ready for.Dan chalked up the result to the massive size difference.The weight was a big difference. I took the fight on short notice, but Im a natural 147-pounder, and I dont struggle to make that, Dan said. Hes a tough guy. I gave him some good shots, and I took some good shots. At the end of the day, this is boxing. I couldnt do enough to get the win.In the opener of the triple-header, lightweight Javier Fortuna (31-1-1, 22 KOs), a former junior lightweight world titleholder from the Dominican Republic, won a spirited unanimous decision against Omar Douglas (17-1, 12 KOs) by scores of 96-93, 96-93 and 95-94. Fortuna, 27, overcame a knockdown on a clean left hook to the chin by Douglas, 25, of Wilmington, Delaware, during a back-and-forth exchange in the first round.He got me cold in the first round. I wasnt surprised that he came out sharp, Fortuna said. I worked very hard to come back and win almost every round. I didnt feel the punch from the knockdown very long. It was easy to recover.Every time that I was aggressive, I tried to follow it up with more punches. I knew in the final round that I had to finish it well to make sure I won the fight with no questions. The decision is done, so theres nothing else to say. I felt like I won almost every round after the first one.Douglas said he felt he won.He put it all on the line, and so did I. I knocked him down based on reflexes. The left hook was there for me, Douglas said. I worked hard in there, and I did my part. I feel like I won the fight. The decision was absurd. He held me the whole fight. I definitely want a rematch. Hes a former world champion. I gave it my all, but I just didnt get the decision.Douglas is unlikely to get a rematch -- at least not right away. Instead, Fortuna is likely headed to a rematch with secondary world titleholder Jason Sosa, who upset Fortuna by 11th-round knockout in June. Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs), of Camden, New Jersey, retained his belt earlier Saturday by unanimous decision against Stephen Smith in Monte Carlo and now owes Fortuna a contractually obligated rematch.I want Jason Sosa next, Fortuna said. That is a very big fight, and beating him this time would push my career up fast. Kevin Garnett Jersey .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Felton Spencer Jersey . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/520j-rashad-mccants-jersey-timberwolves.html . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Ryan Gomes Jersey . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Wholesale Timberwolves Jerseys . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. doesnt have a problem with teams trying to get in his head.Id probably do the same, Beckham said.The emotional Beckham has proven capable of being thrown off track. It happened on Monday when he overstepped the boundary and earned a costly taunting penalty against cornerback Xavier Rhodes in Monday nights 24-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan questioned the approach teams are employing to throw Beckham off his game. He didnt think it was the proper competitive spirit.In terms of defenders, you really have to ask yourself, why are they trying to get in his head, why are they trying to rattle him? Sullivan said. If a guy is very confident -- Im talking about a defender -- if hes confident, if he has complete belief in his own abilities and hes a true competitor, why would you want to tip the scales? Doesnt he want Odell to be at his best?Beckham at his best is a scary proposition. He scored 25 touchdown in his first 26 career games. He set the NFL receiving record in his first two professional seasons.Teams are trying to reduce his effectiveness, even if it means getting into his head.The only reason the guy tries to get him off his game is theyre not confident enough in their abilities, Sullivan said. Theyre afraid to match up against him 1-on-1, mano-y-mano if you will. So if that is going to be the approach ... say, You know what, obviously the guy is not courageous enough, brave enough, man enough or whatever you want to say, to go ahead and play it straight up. If you need those type of tricks, OK, then so be it.Rhodes helped limit Beckham to a career-low three receptions for 23 yards on Monday night. The Giants star receiver also had a drop, a penalty and was bumped off his route on a ball that Rhodes intercepted.Rhodes and Beckham tangled and/or exchanged words on multiple occasions Monday night. Its something Beckham is gettinng accustomed to.ddddddddddddHes trying to avoid a similar result this week on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.I think its gotten to a point where I just want to compete, Beckham said. None of the extra stuff. I just want to compete. That never seems to be the case. You just keep smiling. Itll be straight. Itll all work itself out. Well start winning some games and help pick up this offense.The thing that kills me is that I remember when I was a kid. I remember when I looked up to someone and watched them, emulated them, he said. What Im doing is not something I would want a 6-year-old boy to be out there and learn from. Honestly, as funny as it sounds, thats really all I care about.Just being able to have that ability to be a blessing to someone else. To be an inspiration. Thats a lot of power. Thats very powerful to me. It feeds my soul. I would never, again, want to set a bad example for any kids or anything like that. Im just doing the best to be me.Beckham hasnt reached the end zone yet this season and has been involved in incidents each of the past two weeks.Hes a young man who is very emotional but hes basically a very good young man who does a lot of good things off the field. But he plays the game with a lot of passion and sometimes he goes a little too far, Giants co-owner John Mara told The Associated Press on Thursday during a conference on faith and sport at the Vatican.But thats true with a lot of players, Mara added. Unfortunately for him it seems like everybodys focused on him right now.Beckham said repeatedly Thursday he can only control what he can control. Hes thinking about the Packers.You just keep going. Keep it moving, he said. Theres always going to be bumps in the road. Theres always going to be this and that, adversity. You just overcome it. Its what Ive done all my life. ' ' '