By Dan Ambrose: Mikey Garcia feels like Manny Pacquiao is a “better fit” for him than his fight against the much taller Errol Spence in his one-sided loss to him. Mikey (40-1, 32 KOs) is still pushing for the Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs), even with there no chance for that fight to take place in the near term.
Garcia believes he’s done his part to earn the Pacquiao fight by beating welterweight Jessie Vargas last February. While fans wanted to see Garcia take on a true contender rated in the top 15, he opted to face Vargas, who came into their fight with a 1-0-2 record in his last three contests.
It probably doesn’t matter that Mikey chose a 2nd tier welterweight to fight. Pacquiao, 41, is very likely to take the fight with him rather than a dangerous one against the talented 147-pounders like Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Shawn Porter. Pacquiao vs. Garcia is more about entertaining the casual boxing fans.
Mikey Garcia staying at welterweight
“I know I’m not a welterweight, and I know I’d be better at a lower eight class like 140 lbs,” said Mikey Garcia to Eddie Hearn on Instagram “But I believe my experience, my ability, and my talent will allow me to compete on the highest level even at the 140-lb limit against the top guys.
“That’s why I’m excited to stay at welterweight to secure big fights to show everybody that my talent is much greater than they’ve ever seen, and I think I was able to show some of that in my last fight against Jessie Vargas. We fought a tough fight.
“He was a tough fighter, he came to win, and he was probably the best Jessie Vargas of his career.
“I was still able to take control and show that even though he has the size, height, and reach advantage, I was able to overcome all that. I think I can do the same with a lot of the other top welterweights in the division,” said Mikey.
Fighting at 135 or 140 would be hard for Mikey
It’s an obvious choice for Mikey to stay at 147 instead of moving down to 140 or 135. The paydays aren’t as good at lightweight and light welterweight for Mikey, and there’s a good chance he would lose if he took on the talented guys. The top 140-lb fighters Josh Taylor, Jose Ramirez, and Regis Prograis would give Mikey a lot of problems.
At 135, Mikey would have to deal with talented guys like Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez. Could Mikey beat them? Maybe. You could also see a situation where Mikey would lose to all of them, and then his paydays would likely start dropping off.
Staying at 147 is Mikey’s best bet. He can hustle fights against the likes of Pacquiao and some of the other welterweights like Danny Garcia. Mikey’s poor performance against Spence likely closed the door on those two ever fighting again. The boxing public won’t want to pay to see Spence dominate the undersized Mikey again.
Mikey: I want to fight Manny Pacquiao
“Yes, I would love the opportunity to fight Manny,” said Mikey Garcia. “Styles make fights, and he’s not a tall, lanky fighter that can complicate things like Errol Spence did. Errol Spence is a taller fighter, who uses his reach very effectively and his height.
“He’s a southpaw that complicates things. Manny’s a southpaw, but he’s a lot smaller in height. He doesn’t have the reach like some of these other welterweights, and I think that fits a lot better to get an entertaining fight with me. I think it fits right.
“I remember sparring with him many years ago, and I was able to fight similar to the way [Erik] Morales and [Juan Manuel] Marquez in boxing, and we did really well. It was only a sparring session, but I felt really good.
“I was able to time him and use my jab effectively. That’s why I think that fight makes the most sense to me right now to prove to everybody that I can be a world champion at the welterweight limit,” said Mikey.
At this point, Pacquiao has already received the message loud and clear that Mikey BADLY wants to fight him. It might be a good idea for Mikey to back off now and give Pacquiao some breathing room.
Should Garcia earn the Pacquiao fight?
If Mikey keeps calling him out the way he’s been doing. He might scare him away permanently. What Mikey should be doing is letting Pacquiao know that he has other options at 147 instead of making it seem like he views him as a cash-out opportunity.
That’s the picture that some boxing fans have of Mikey. They think he’s just looking for a cash-out against Pacquiao at 147, and then he’ll retire or go look for another big name fighter to talk his way into facing.
What Mikey has failed to do is prove that he deserves the Pacquiao fight. Vargas was never a good welterweight in the first place. Six years ago, in 2014, Vargas captured the WBA 140-lb belt with a controversial decision over Khabib Allakhverdiev.
Vargas later moved up to 147 and was beaten by Tim Bradley in an attempt to win the WBO welterweight title. On Vargas’ second try, he won the WBO belt in stopping Sadam Ali. Vargas then lost the WBO strap to Pacquiao in 2016 in a one-sided defeat.
After that loss, Vargas’ career fell apart, and he never did anything else until he was given the shot to fight Mikey. Vargas wasn’t ranked in the top 15 by any of the four sanctioning bodies. In other words, Vargas wasn’t a relevant fighter. It was yesterday’s news. It didn’t matter. Mikey chose him anyway.
Garcia on Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford
“I think that’s a very complicated for both because neither guy has fought anyone that can box effectively, use the height and reach, and use the ring generalship and boxing IQ like themselves,” said Mikey when asked who wins between Spence and Terence Crawford. “Terence has fought the better fighters in the lower divisions, but lately he hasn’t had the challenges.
“He hasn’t anyone that was a top challenge. Errol is a terrific fighter. I think that’s a great match-up, and it’s hard to pick a winner.
“I think that would be perfect, and if I do a fight with Manny, that would be another great match-up that we all talk about. Those are the biggest fights at welterweight for the moment. Danny Garcia would be perfect. There are a few big fights.
“I like all of them. I’m not saying no to any names. I’m down to fight any of them,” said Mikey about the top welterweights. “As long as the timing is right, and we set a great agreement, then I’m here for everybody,” said Mikey.
Spence and Terence Crawford will fight at some point, but the fight might need another two to three more years to marinate. Crawford still hasn’t fought anyone good as a welterweight, and it’s taking a long time for him to build a fan base. If Spence fights Crawford now, the contest would likely bring in fewer buys than Errol’s matches against Mikey or Shawn Porter.
Mikey previews Regis Prograis vs. Maurice Hooker
“That’s a great fight for both guys right now,” said Mikey on the Regis Prograis vs. Maurice Hooker fight. “They both want to get back on top, so I’m sure they’re both going to be very hungry. So they’re going to get in the best shape possible.
“They know that a win opens doors for other big fights for either one of them. I think Regis Prograis might be the favorite on my end. He’s solid, he’s strong, and Hooker got stopped by Jose Ramirez. So that’s the only thing. Even though it’s going to be a long time now from the Ramirez fight, it still takes a while.
“Some fighters don’t recover well from a stoppage and don’t come back as motivated or as sure of themselves. That’s the only question I have about Hooker, and that’s why I kind of lean towards a Regis Prograis victory,” said Garcia.
Mikey had the chance to fight Regis Prograis, but he opted to fight Vargas. It was a good move on Mikey’s part in not fighting Prograis because he probably would have lost that fight. Vargas had already been exposed many times by the likes of Pacquiao, Adrien Broner, Bradley, and Thomas Dulorme. In other words, he was a safe fight for Mikey. Prograis would have been anything but safe.
