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Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia: “It’s About Legacy”
Danny “Swift” Garcia has no illusions that a victory on Saturday night over rugged veteran Jose Benavidez Jr. would solidify his legacy. What he is aware of is that with a victory he will once again put his name back in the forefront of the boxing public’s mind. On the flipside, a fourth career loss would all but nail the coffin shut on the plans of the 34-year-old Philadelphian to remain at the elite level. While opinions vary regarding Garcia’s 14-year career, one thing is undebatable when it comes to the three-time, two division former champion: He is always in entertaining fights, regardless of the outcome.
At times fighters can remain big draws despite not fighting at the elite level (think Arturo Gatti post his loss to Mayweather). However, in the case of Garcia it seems that after losing to Errol Spence 19 months ago and choosing to take the longest lay-off from fighting in his career, any future commercial or critical success rests on a victory on Saturday.
It was just about a decade ago in October of 2012 that Garcia destroyed the faded legend Erik Morales in a fight that headlined the first boxing card at the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Since that night Garcia has fought at the venue six more times, each time to huge crowds and good ratings on television. With box-office numbers like the ones he’s produced, it’s no secret why this fight landed back in Brooklyn. Everything points to the DSG business (or the “Danny Garcia Show,” as he calls it) still being a profitable one.
This is what’s intriguing about where Garcia currently is in his life and fighting career. Outside business ventures coupled with his ring earnings have placed him in an enviable financial position. He’s accumulated enough wealth that he never has to take another punch for profit again. Unlike many fighters that make poor financial choices and wind up having to lace up a pair of gloves for economic reasons, Garcia claims to be making this final push towards glory purely based on his passion for the sport.
With this fight on Saturday taking place in the 154-pound division, Garcia knows that a win means that due to his box-office allure, any big-name fighter or champion would relish a chance at the payday that facing him offers. It’s the reason why 160-pound belt holder Erislandy Lara already mentioned Garcia’s name as a potential opponent for him at a catchweight.
Again, all of this is not lost on Garcia, and he recently admitted as much. “It’s do or die for me, I know it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for him [Benavidez] so the stakes are high for the both of us, I just gotta win,” he said.
As Garcia was making this statement after he finished working out in his North Philadelphia private gym, he continuously looked over to a large mural that contains portraits of several fighters that have inspired him. When asked about what fighters like former 154-pound champions and Hall of Famers Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto mean to him, he quickly stated, “Legacy, it’s about legacy, this is what it’s all about, this is why you train. Look at Cotto, he moved up to 154 at 34-years-old and lost to [Austin] Trout and [Floyd] Mayweather. He took a break, got another surge of energy for his career, that’s how I feel.”
Garcia has been fighting professionally for 14 years. That doesn’t include the decade he spent as a highly decorated amateur. So, after losing to Spence, after close to 25 years of dedication to training and living the life of an athlete, it was the perfect chance for Garcia to completely step away from the sport. Although he claims to have made trips during his break to his gym to help the younger generation of fighters coming out of Philadelphia, he didn’t mind not having to deal with the added pressures that come from fight negotiations and training camps. “After 25-years it can get tough, you still have to come in here with the same energy every day, spar hundreds of rounds, and push yourself even when you don’t feel like doing it. You reach a breaking point; you have to listen to your body.”
Needing a break from the grind that fighting on the elite level can become is not something new to hear from top fighters. However, in the five years since his first loss to Keith Thurman in March of 2017, Garcia has fought an average of just once a year — not exactly the Spartan-like schedule that he had committed to when turning professional in 2008. For Garcia it was also the fact that he wanted to focus on his growing family and interests outside of the sport.
“You have to weigh your options at this point. I love to fight, this is what I do, but when you think ‘do I really want to go through it all for a check when I already have money in the bank,’ spending time away from family, can get rough.” After the Spence fight, I still wanted to fight, but I was mentally tired, so I had to take a step back and do what was best for Danny Garcia.”
With all the accomplishments that Garcia has achieved to this point in his career, when he enters the ring on Saturday night – if you listen to him — it will be purely for the love of the sport. That’s the beauty of boxing; everything that is discussed prior to the opening bell goes away and the truth about what occurred in the dark comes out under the bright lights. If we are to believe what Garcia has said pre-fight, his performance on Saturday will be the start of what could be a glorious final chapter to a career that already stands on the cusp of eternal glory in Canastota.
Photo credit: Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME
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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.
Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.
All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).
Semi wind-up
Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.
The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.
Other TV bouts
Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.
After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he rose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 25-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.
The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.
Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.
The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.
Also
New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.
Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.
Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.
A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.
In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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