Danny Garcia will fight for the second time this year and once again for a championship. The 147-pound vacant WBC title is up for grabs when he opposes Shawn Porter September 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn that will be televised on Showtime Championship Boxing. Once again a welcome opportunity this is for this elite division in the sport.
And for Danny Garcia, this was a bout that was set months ago. He was in the ring at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas back in February and coming off his TKO win over Brandon Rios.
The interception, a well dressed Shawn Porter and a challenge to the champion. This is the welterweight division and everyone trying to claim a stake to a title. It’s Garcia, Porter, Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman, Terence Crawford.
Oh, there is Errol Spence Jr. and he could be the best in this division. But Garcia and Porter are on that quest to make that quest as the best and that will occur at the Barclays Center. There was no animosity at their kickoff press conference Monday morning in New York City.
This division is all about respect and Danny Garcia at times does not get the proper accolades for his accomplishments as a past champion. He is a different fighter since losing a controversial and split decision last March at Barclays to Keith Thurman for the WBA title.
Yes, this is confusing with the parade of champions in the 147-pound mix.The only way and the right way for this to make more sense is doing business in the ring. Fans of this division are adjusting to this mix of champions and challenge. The boxing world hasn’t seen this since that great era of Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, and Duran.
“The loss against Keith Thurman hurt me for a little bit,” Garcia said. “Thought I finished the fight strong and won. At the end of the day though, I feel motivated again. I feel more motivated now than I did before the fight. There’s something different inside of me.”
That difference, as with any fighter, is trying to throw that loss out the window. Danny Garcia knows he defeated Keith Thurman, though the judges make those decisions. And those around Garcia, the pride of Philadelphia, say he can’t forget an outcome that should have went his way.
But this is the welterweight division and plenty of opportunity. So Danny Garcia has moved on and after that win over Rios, and when Porter made that challenge, he went right back to work as this was not the first time a fighter has called on him.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “my mindset is fully focused on September 8. I have to go grab this title and then you can ask me to fight anyone. I’ve never turned down an opponent in my career. I’m a fighter and this is what I do.”
Porter, he got what he wants. And by all means he is a part of this mix at 147, always was, but with Danny Garcia this is official.
“The belt is all I want,” he said. “Winning a title is always special but beating Danny Garcia will be icing on the cake. He’s been a top fighter for a long time and this win will help solidify me. Once I have the belt the sky’s the limit.”
They are fighting for a title that was vacated by Thurman who could not defend due to his recurring injuries. But Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, who have held pieces of this division title at one time, they are aiming for more.
That challenge made by Porter, unorthodox as it was, but typical with the competition in this division, has become official. And in this 147-pound mix a knockout and not a decision could be the deciding factor.
Welcome again to the welterweight division and the one that could be called the face of boxing.
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