PHILADELPHIA ? Danny Garcia is a different man with a different attitude these days. And it?s all because of ?Philly.?
No, not his hometown of Philadelphia, but something ? someone ? even closer who has his heart. It?s the new little leading lady in his life, Philly Swift Garcia, his 5-month-old daughter.
Yep, that?s what Garcia named his daughter, born on Aug. 15, 2015, two weeks after his last fight, a ninth-round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi.
Being a first-time father, ?Swift? says his perspective has taken a more serious turn that translates into how he views his profession.
Those freshly acquired finer edges could all come spilling out this Saturday, when Garcia (31-0, 18 knockouts) faces southpaw Robert ?The Ghost? Guerrero (33-3-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBC welterweight title at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The fight will be broadcast on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.
?I have a child now so I have to be a lot smarter in and out of the ring,? Garcia said. ?It has changed me. I can?t take unnecessary punishment, because I know protecting my future protects her future. It?s all about acquiring assets and getting out there more. I think that?s what this fight will do for me (on national TV).
?This will be the first time I?ll be fighting as a father. It makes you think differently. At first, I was worried this baby girl doesn?t make me weak, thinking about her all of the time. Now I?m motivated even more than I was before. I never try to think too deep. This makes me think deeper.?
Garcia is looking to fight three times this year ? in a perfect world. He gets frustrated when he looks at the 147-pound landscape, where he sees Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter out there. He thinks about the possibility of a rematch against Amir Khan or a title-unification shot at IBF beltholder Kell Brook, if he gets by Guerrero.
And it often gnaws at him that he?s not in on those conversations. Why he?s not considered a pound-for-pound top-10 fighter, despite being recognized as the best 140-pounder in the world for three years.
?I really don?t know what it is,? Garcia said, shaking his head. ?With boxing, there?s a lot of politics in the sport. It?s just people (in the media) whoever they like, they rank you. I was the junior welterweight world champion for three years. I defended my title five times, and in two of those fights, I was the underdog.
?To me, I should have been a pound-for-pound fighter a long time ago. So I?ll keep trying to prove myself at 147 and once I win a title, there?s nothing else really to say. I don?t pay attention to those things, but when I see things (like the pound-for-pound ratings), I wonder how some guys are where they are. I don?t understand. A lot of those things are bulls?t.?
Garcia, 27, is also in a no-win spot. His victories have set a high standard. Every time he fights, fans expect to see him dismantle his opponents like he did Khan and Lucas Matthysse. When he doesn?t, there are some grumblings.
?I?ve received criticism in a couple of my fights, but let?s face it, I?ve faced some great fighters,? Garcia said. ?There might not ever be enough. I understand that the standards for me are high. A lot of fighters win a lot of fights off momentum. In the Peterson fight, I had no momentum. I was killing myself making weight. I hadn?t fought in nine months and fought a tough fight.
?Things have changed for me. I try not to pay attention to a lot of the other stuff. I know I?m the one that?s supposed to win. I put my shoes on and my wraps and get ready to train like I always have.?
Danny?s father and trainer, Angel, has noticed a change in his son. For one, Danny has been training in a much more approachable mood than he has the last two years, since he doesn?t have to make weight.
?I know Danny has to go out there and show the world again that he?s one of the best,? Angel said. ?He?s perfect right now. All I need Danny to do more of is use his legs. If he uses his legs, he?s untouchable. Everything falls into place when he uses his legs. It?s what I see in him sparring.
?The weight has made an adjustment. He?s a new man in and out of the ring. He trains for a fight, not to lose the weight. A happy fighter is a great fighter. Being a father has changed him a lot, too. You don?t know what it?s like to be a dad until you become a dad. It changes a young man into a man. Danny knows the meaning of living for his kids and future grandkids. He?s working for her.?
