Mikey Garcia can be like Pacquiao and win 4-5 division world titles, says trainer

By Boxing News - 11/12/2013 - Comments

mikey5By Dan Ambrose: Robert Garcia, the trainer and brother of WBO super featherweight champion Mikey Garcia (33-0, 28 KO’s), believes that Mikey can become like Manny Pacquiao by moving up in in weight class after weight class to capture world titles. Mikey has already won two world titles in different weight classes, and now Robert Garcia believes that he’s capable of winning 4 to 5 division world titles.

If Robert’s not counting the two division titles that Mikey has already captured, that would mean Mikey would have to capture world titles at lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight in order to realize Robert Garcia’s vision of him winning another 5 division titles. If he’s only taking about Mikey winning 5 world titles in total, then that would mean that would mean that Mikey would stop at welterweight. But that, of course, wouldn’t make Mikey like another Pacquiao because he captured world titles in 8 divisions. Mikey would be more like Miguel Cotto or Juan Manuel Marquez if he wins 4-5 world titles.

Robert told Husleboss “I think he [Mikey] might be a 4 to 5 division world champion. I’m going for that. I know he’s going for that too. I think Mikey’s big enough to go to 135 [right now]. It’s still going to be hard to make 130 [super featherweight]. We might got to 135 for his next fight.”

At 5’7″ with a slender frame, it’s difficult to imagine Mikey capturing world titles at 154 or 160. In looking at how Mikey was knocked down by the skinny Roman Martinez last Saturday night, it’s difficult to picture Mikey even winning a world title at lightweight unless his promoter Bob Arum is very selective in which champion he targets for Mikey. If Arum is a shrewd match-maker like he’d done with Pacquiao and he’s currently doing with Nonito Donaire, then we could see Mikey pick up a lightweight title by matching him against champions Miguel Vazquez or Richard Abril. One of those guys will likely be who Mikey ends up facing if he does fight for a world title at lightweight in his next fight.

Things become a little more tricky for Mikey if and when he decides to move up to light welterweight. He’ll likely be matched against someone like WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov, and that’s going to be a tough ask for Mikey to be able to beat a guy like that by trying to slug with him. If Mikey couldn’t stay on his feet when he was hit by thin-armed Ramon Martinez, then what’s going to happen when the much stockier Provodnikov gets in close and starts working Mikey over on the inside. Mikey doesn’t have an inside game as we saw in his win over Orlando Salido recently, and he would likely be looking to hold Provodnikov at any chance he could get. I don’t think that would work with him because he’s too strong to be held for 12 rounds, and he would work Mikey over. The only way Mikey beats Provodnikov is for him to move for 12 rounds and avoid exchanging shots, because Provodnikov is used to fighting bigger guys than Mikey and he won’t be bothered by his punches like the smaller guys are.

At welterweight, Mikey would likely be matched against WBO champion Tim Bradley. I think that would be a tough fight for Mikey as well. Mikey would stand no chance against Floyd Mayweather, and he’d likely have problems against Devon Alexander and Adrien Broner as well due to their speed and defensive skills.



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