By: Hans Themistode
Looking ahead is apart of all sports. Before the event even begins, the first question that arises is “what’s next?”
In boxing, in particular, the thought of a big fight is always on the minds of everyone. It may sound cliché and a bit infuriating but when a boxer says “I can’t look ahead, I have to focus on the fight in front of me,” fans simultaneously role their eyes.
This constant rhetoric used by fighters just isn’t what fans want to hear on a consistent basis, yet it is the formula that helps them carve out hall of fame level careers.
When you look at former two division world champion Danny Garcia (35-2, 21 KOs), he’s become the poster child for this. It is difficult if not flat out impossible for anyone to get him to mention any other fighter other than the one that is currently placed in front of him.
His trainer and father, Angel Garcia on the other hand, now that’s an entirely different story.
On January 25th, at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn New York, Garcia will be taking on Ivan Redkach. It isn’t considered the most difficult matchup in the world for Danny. In fact, should he lose this upcoming weekend, you could make the case that this would rank amongst the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.
The matchup with Redkach (23-4-1, 18 KOs) is an important one, but it isn’t exactly on the minds of the fans. Contests against unified champion Errol Spence Jr and WBA belt holder Manny Pacquiao are more intriguing.
You may not be able to get Danny to say much about what lies ahead for his future but his father is an open book.
“Anyone of them. We’ll take them all,” said Angel during a recent interview. “Listen, we’re here to fight so we’ll fight anyone of them. It doesn’t even matter if we have to fight on DAZN we can work with them.”
If you believe the rumbles then you’ll understand fully that Danny has a potential matchup with either of those aforementioned fighters awaiting him should he pull off the victory this Saturday.
The problem for Danny is that Spence was only recently cleared for boxing activities following a horrific car accident, while Pacquiao is an unknown.
Pacquiao has done just about everything in the sport of boxing and at this point, he’s almost like the golden ticket. One win over him and you have a chance of punching your own ticket to the hall of fame, while also pocketing a career high pay day as well.
Danny has a hall of fame case in his own right and he certainly isn’t hurting for money either, but more couldn’t hurt right? Danny would love a fight with the living legend but that doesn’t mean that he’ll simply wait around or beg for it either.
“We can fight Manny that’s not a problem but the point is this. Last year we were supposed to fight Manny. We sat and waited and then he ended up choosing Thurman. So we wasted a date last year. We want to fight at least two times this year.”
Speaking of Thurman, he of course handed the first loss to Danny in his career. It may have been over two years ago but don’t think Danny or Angel forgot about it.
“We want a rematch with Thurman bad. We need that rematch so that we can avenge the L. But if we don’t get him then we’ll take any of the other top guys.”
Before any of those dream matchups can actually happen, fans will have to revert back to those words that they hate to hear. “I have to focus on the fight in front of me.” It may not be the sort of statement that the fans want to be told, but it’s what they have to live with, for now.
Angel isn’t looking past Redkach but he does expect him to be nothing more than a speed bump on the road to big fights.
“Listen, when Danny starts throwing leather will Redkach be able to stand there and take it? I doubt it. Danny is gonna knock him out.”
