Considered to be one of the best young fighters in boxing, Miguel Angel Garcia (28-0, 24 KOs) has silently worked his way up the wide open, but highly competitive Featherweight division rankings.
Last night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the fighter most affectionately known as Mikey methodically picked apart and eventually stopped heavy-handed Filipino Bernabe Concepcion to record his sixth consecutive knock-out victory, and his 28th straight win overall. (Round 7 below)
After Garcia’s impressive seventh round stoppage of Concepcion, the Oxnard, CA, resident stated that he was indeed ready to face any of the current champions at 126 pounds. The 24 year old contender is currently ranked number one by the WBA, number two by the WBC, number eight by the IBF, and number three by the WBO.
But, with only five years under his belt as a professional, is Mikey Garcia truly prepared to face the elite of the Featherweight division?
The young fighter is wise beyond his years and is a very technically proficient boxer/puncher. Garcia is not like most of the aggressive brawlers or pressure fighters at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. Mikey is a cerebral assassin and a natural counterpuncher. And with 24 knockouts in 28 professional bouts, the Oxnard based fighter has become one of the most dangerous closers in the division.
The crafty pugilist is also a switch-hitter who can box proficiently out of an orthodox stance as well as the southpaw position. The humble young man is a disciplined student of the Sweet Science and always comes into the fight in superb condition. Garcia is an admitted gym-rat who is in shape 365 days out of every year.
Mikey is trained by his father and managed by his brother Robert, so he has a strong foundation in boxing and has been around the sport his entire life. Mikey has a strong amateur background and is a very intelligent fighter who has better than average hand speed and better than average power.
His defensive skills are brilliant, with very good upper body movement and excellent footwork. The young fighter fights well at angles and is one of the more accurate punchers in the division. He hooks off the jab better than anyone in the weight class and throws compact, crisp combinations at multiple distances. “I would love to face Orlando Salido or any of the champions in the Featherweight division,” claims Mikey Garcia. “If anyone wants to give me a title shot, I’m game. I’m ready to face the best at 126. All I need is the opportunity to prove it.”
The only current major world title holder in the Featherweight division to fight under the same promotional banner as the 24 year old technician is Orlando Salido, which would be a very exciting match-up for the WBO title. The two Top Rank fighters couldn’t be more different but their styles mesh extremely well.
Salido is the rugged veteran and the effective aggressor while Garcia is the technical counterpuncher who throws the tighter more compact punches. The match-up would be an enormous step up in class and would easily be Mikey Garcia’s toughest challenge to date.
If Oxnard, CA, based fighter does eventually face Orlando Salido for his WBO Featherweight title, the undefeated combatant would be severely tested and the fans of boxing would be treated to fantastic fight.
The titleholders in the featherweight division are as follows: Orlando Salido 38-11-2, 26 KO (WBO), Billy Dib, 34-1, 21 KO (IBF), Celestino Caballero 36-4, 23 KO (WBA Regular), Jhonny Gonzalez 51-7, 45 KO (WBC) and Chris John 46-0-2, 22 KO (WBA Super).
