By: Sean Crose
He’s beaten Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, and Lucas Matthysse. He’s also bested the likes of Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero. Not all those names may end up in the Hall of Fame, but there is no doubt they belong to talented and successful boxers. Yet each of them fell before Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia. Morales may have been past his prime, the Peterson fight may have been too close for comfort, but no one could argue that Garcia didn’t rise to the occasion each and every time. All things being equal, the multi-titlist has quite the resume.
What’s more, Garcia’s only been beaten twice, by Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman respectively. Major fighters both. Furthermore, both those loses were close fights. Long story, short: Danny Garcia is not a man to be taken lightly. And while it’s true the 36-2 fighter is heading into this weekend’s welterweight title fight against Errol Spence as the underdog, it’s good to keep in mind that Garcia should be considered anything but an afterthought. “We’ve been on pay-per-view before,” says Angel Garcia, who is both Garcia’s father and trainer. “It wasn’t our card, but to us it was. Nothing is going to phase Danny heading into this fight. It doesn’t matter what anyone on the outside is saying.”
One thing Garcia brings to the table is an incredible toughness. As hard as Matthysse, Thurman and Porter could hit, for instance, Garcia stayed on his feet against each man. On top that, the fighter has showed that he can pack a punch himself when required. “Danny doesn’t just know how to win,” says Angel. “He knows how to kick your ass.” The 32 year old also brings a very polished skill set. Garcia may not be a stylistic ground breaker, but his footwork and counterpunching make him a high level boxer, nonetheless.
Still, Garcia is going to have the fight of his life when he steps into the ring at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas on Saturday night to square off against the undefeated, 26-0 Spence. For one thing, Spence is incredibly strong. The Texan also has the ability to bowl an opponent over. Yet, as his father/trainer Angel points out, Garcia has been under the big lights of pay per view before. This most deliberate of competitors won’t be overwhelmed by the moment. There’s also the matter of Spence’s car accident, which the fighter remarkably survived last year. Whether the crash will impact Spence’s performance remains to be seen. If it does, however, Garcia can be expected to take advantage of the opportunity.
“You can say what you want to say at this point,” Garcia says. “I’m here for the fight of my life. Come Saturday night, I will be victorious.”