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Danny Garcia stops Rod Salka in second round

By WTOP Staff

LARRY FLEISHER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson would have liked to fight each other to unify to junior welterweight division.

Instead, they did what they were supposed to do against overmatched opponents Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

After Peterson retained his IBF junior welterweight title by stopping Edgar Santana at 2:48 of the 10th round, Garcia knocked out Rod Salka with 29 seconds remaining in the second round.

“I came here to purge,” said Garcia, the WBA and WBO champion. “I told everybody tonight was going to be the Danny Garcia show. No matter who I fought tonight they were going to get beat. I was going to purge. I was out to kill.”

The Peterson-Garcia fight did not happen because Garcia’s manager Al Haymon was reluctant to arrange it, especially after Garcia struggled in a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera in Puerto Rico five months ago.

There were no struggles this time for Garcia, who won his third fight in Brooklyn. After beating Erik Morales and Zab Judah in Brooklyn, Garcia quickly won a fight that was non-sanctioned by the WBA and WBO since Salka usually fights as a lightweight and is not even considered to be among the 50 best fighters in that division.

“He did what he was supposed to do,” said trainer Angel Garcia, also Garcia’s father. “Salka came here to fight. But that’s what Danny’s supposed to do with these kinds of guys. I’m not talking about Salka. I’m talking about anyone.”

Garcia delivered a series of punishing overhand punches that twice sent down Salka. After a left hand, and a left hook by Garcia, Salka’s corner threw in the towel just as referee Steve Willis stopped the fight.

Garcia dominated the brief fight by landing 50 of 117 punches (43 percent), including 41 of 79 power punches. Salka (19-4) landed 10 of 69 punches, including just two of 42 jabs.

After the fight, Eric Gomez Vice President of Golden Boy promotions said a Peterson-Garcia fight for later this year or early next year is being discussed.

It was Garcia’s shortest fight since beating John Figueroa in the second round in Feb. 2011 and it came after he watched Peterson.

“It was a good fight,” Garcia said. “I don’t think he still wants to fight me after watching my performance. We fought similar kinds of opponents and I made a statement. He was supposed to come here and make more of a statement. I’m going to keep entertaining. Upsets happen in boxing but they don’t always happen.”

Peterson (33-2-1) appeared to finish Santana with about two minutes remaining in the fifth when he landed a series of combinations. Those punches had Santana wobbling at the ropes but Peterson was unable to finish him off.

“The win means a lot to me,” Peterson said. “Overall, I wasn’t that impressed with him. Anyone I fight could hurt me but I feel really good.”

After Santana (29-5) hung around for five more rounds, Peterson finally finished the fight off late in the 10th with a series of overwhelming body shots and uppercuts. Those punches prompted referee Pete Santiago to finally end it on the advice of the ringside doctor.

Peterson retained his title for the third time since claiming it in a split decision over Amir Khan in Dec. 2011. Afterward he said he wants to fight Garcia.

“I got two victories out of this year,” Peterson said. “Hopefully, I can get another one. He was tough.”

Peterson dominated by landing 281 of 582 punches (48 percent) while Santana landed 94 of 406 (23 percent).

In the first of two title bouts on the televised portion of the card, Brooklyn fighter Daniel Jacobs claimed the vacant WBA middleweight title by stopping Australian Jarrod Fletcher at 2:58 of the fifth round.

“It feels so great to win this belt, the greatest moment in my life,” Jacobs said. “This was so important to me that I trained smart.”

Jacobs (28-1), a bone cancer survivor, recorded his 24th knockout and won his ninth straight fight.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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