It?s being reported that a Mikey Garcia-Danny Garcia PPV bout is currently in the works for later this summer. Ugh.
Sit me down, explain it rationally, and it kinda makes sense. Mikey?s plans and Danny?s plans run a similar path. Danny?s a full-fledged welterweight, Mikey fancies himself a welterweight, at least as he pushes for a world title in a fifth weight class. Both Garcias need a big, high-profile win after high-profile losses in the not-too-distant past (Mikey, against Errol Spence back in March, and Danny, against Shawn Porter last September). And, looking over the PBC roster and schedule, every other big name at 147 is busy this summer (Thurman against Pacquiao, Spence against Porter).
But still, ugh.
?I want to see what options are available at 140 or 147 for my return fight,? Mikey said on Fox?s Inside PBC Boxing, back in April ?But I do want to pursue another title shot at 147. I really do. So at that time we?ll see who is available, which champion is available and willing to give me a shot. My next fight might be at 140. It might be at 147. I?m not sure yet. I got to explore those options. I want big fights. If I can get another title shot next I would do it. Probably not going to happen but I would definitely jump on a title opportunity. I do want a fifth world title in a fifth division.?
Mikey also said he?s done with lightweight, at least for now, and officially vacated the WBC belt he held since beating Dejan Zlaticanin for the title back in January of 2017.
A bout with WBA/WBO lightweight champ Vasiliy Lomachenko, who will be facing Luke Campbell for the belt vacated by Garcia, would be the most obvious big fight to be had below 147, but we all know why that won?t happen. Separated by dueling business interests on dueling platforms, Garcia-Lomachenko talks would go nowhere, even if both sides were to actually sit down and seriously discuss making the fight.
Meanwhile, at junior welterweight, things are starting to get really interesting as young talent establishes its dominance. Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor have superstar potential. Right below them, Jose Ramirez, Maurice Hooker, and several others hold spots as tough and talented championship-level fighters.
Unfortunately, all of the champs and young stars-in-the making at 140 are busy right now. New WBA champ Prograis waits to face the winner of the Josh Taylor- Ivan Baranchyk IBF title bout in the World Boxing Super Series tournament final. WBC champ Jose Ramirez and WBO titlist Maurice Hooker may or may not be talking title unification later this year, but if they?re not, Ramirez will stay defending exclusively on ESPN and Hooker on streaming service DAZN.
And, as we established earlier, no other elite PBC welterweight is available until much later in the year, at the earliest.
So, kudos, I guess, to Mikey for picking on the best available welterweight for his next fight. After being beaten up and shut out by Errol Spence last time out, nobody would blame him if he chose to pick on someone much lower on the company welterweight totem pole, like, maybe, a Robert Guerrero or John Molina. A bout with ?Swift? may not be a title fight, but it?s as close as he could get to having one right now.
As for Danny Garcia, well, I?m sure he was happy to answer the call when Mikey made it. His recent demolition of Adrian Granados got him back on the winning track and made for some positive career momentum, but a big name, in a big fight, against a naturally smaller fighter would be perfect for his own best interests and for working his way back into the elite mix at 147.
Would it be better if both Mikey and Danny were in separate stay-busy fights against no-hopers? No, I guess not.
I guess we could consider Garcia vs. Garcia as a bonus fight this summer that we otherwise weren?t expecting.
However, putting this one behind a PPV paywall when Spence-Porter is planned for regular Fox? That?s another topic for another day.
