By Dan Ambrose: WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs) says he’s ready to give fans the fight they want to see in him facing IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) on April 11th at a still to be determined venue in the United States.
This is a fight that will be televised on NBC and it’ll be the second fight card on the series by Garcia’s manager Al Haymon.
Garcia is coming into the fight off of a win over lightweight fringe contender Rod Salka last August. It was such a poor match that Garcia actually lost credibility with boxing fans for taking the fight, at least the knowledgeable ones. He probably didn’t lose anything status with casual boxing fans for the mismatch, but then again those guys likely won’t even remember Garcia’s name because the fight with Salka was over so quickly.
“Whatever he brings to the table, I’ve got to adjust. I’ve got to be a chameleon,” Garcia said via Fighthype. “This is a fight that fans wanted to see. I can’t be worried about any of that [Garcia referring to Peterson being blown out in just three rounds by Lucas Matthysse two years ago]. Come April 11th, I’m going to be ready. The only guy that can beat Danny Garcia is Danny Garcia. As long as I’m 100 percent ready, I’ll be ready to go and show the world I’m one of the best pound for pound fighters. I’m ready, baby. Every time I step in the ring its fireworks.”
To be honest, Garcia’s fight with Peterson isn’t one that a lot of people are looking for. Peterson is a guy who was blown out by Lucas Matthysse in three rounds a couple of years ago, and Peterson has nothing to redeem himself after the loss. He beat Dierry Jean and a fighter named Edgar Santana, but not anyone that you can call good fighters.
The fighters that fans want to see Danny Garcia face is Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman and Amir Khan.
Unfortunately, Garcia has been reluctant to move up in weight to welterweight despite the fact that he could get some huge fights if he were to move up. It’s unclear whether Garcia’s father Angel Garcia is the one holding him back at 140 or if this is Garcia afraid to take the risk of moving up in weight.
Garcia is a big light welterweight after he rehydrates to make weight, and if he moves up in weight to the 147 pound division his weight advantage will disappear overnight. He’ll be facing guys his own size. Once that happens Garcia may find himself struggling.
Another fight that boxing fans want to see Garcia take is a rematch against Mauricio Herrera, a fighter that Garcia beat by a controversial decision last year. Herrera appeared to beat Garcia by an 8 rounds to 4 score, but then get robbed.
What’s interesting is that Garcia has no interest in clearing up the controversy by facing Herrera again. You can kind of understand why he wouldn’t. A loss to Herrera with good judging would wreck Garcia’s career in the short term, and it might take him a couple of years to build himself back to where he is now.