At one time, Danny Garcia fought several times a year against the best fighters in the world. These days, the 36-year-old hasn’t been working hard. It’s the natural progression of a fighter nearing the end of his boxing tunnel.
But, before Garcia puts away his boxing gloves and says goodbye to his fans for good, he believes he still has a few more fights left in him. On September 14, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Philadelphia star will add a few pounds to his stocky frame when he moves up in weight to take on WBA middleweight title holder Erislandy Lara.
If you look at the current opponent, you’ve got too many boxers in trouble. In short, focusing on the upcoming enemy rather than the one trying to knock their heads down in the third row, has often not ended well. Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) has never been this type. You know Lara, even though she’s 41, is as dangerous as they come. Gone are the days when the Cuban player circled his opponents before going ahead by winning points. With knockout wins in four of his last five bouts, Garcia is paying close attention to Lara’s left hand. He also has an eye on what might come next.
Terence Crawford, a few weeks ago, made his official 154-pound debut, pulling out a close-match win over Israel Madrimov. Ironically, Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is similar to Garcia. He has been in the sport for over a decade and has built his fortune by excelling at punching people.
There isn’t a ton of fight left in either man but Garcia has been optimistic and interested in facing Crawford in the pros. For amateurs, they both split two meetings. That is, a tiebreaker could happen with a ton on the line if Garcia handles his business.
Proving that he was always the better fighter is what Garcia wants without question. But before he can fully enjoy the scene where he exchanges punches with Crawford, he focuses on the cunning and tough Cuban who will try to turn off his lights.
“Anything is possible,” Garcia explained to FightHype.com recently when asked about the Crawford fight. “I found Lara in front of me first. Right now, I have to win this Lara fight and the sky is high.
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