Danny Garcia: “I Feel Like My Next Chapter In My Career Is At 154”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Danny Garcia: “I Feel Like My Next Chapter In My Career Is At 154”

Danny Garcia is still licking his wounds courtesy of Errol Spence Jr. The two faced off on a FOX Pay-Per-View event in early December of 2020. On the night, Garcia was thoroughly outboxed and outgunned as the Dallas native proved to be far too much.

For Garcia, the loss to Spence Jr. represented the third of both his career and his 147-pound tenure. After desperately wanting to pick up a signature win in the weight class, Garcia realizes that his dream of once again becoming a world champion more than likely won’t happen at the welterweight division.

Still, the Philadelphia product views his time spent in the weight class as an overwhelming success. Having won a world title against Robert Guerrero in 2016 and reigned for a little over a year, Garcia believes he’s checked off his welterweight to-do list. Now, the multiple division champion is ready to achieve the final goal in his near-decade and a half-long career.

“I feel like my next chapter in my career is at 154,” said Garcia during a recent interview with Eric Kelly on SouthBox Radio. “My goal in boxing was to be a three-division world champion. 140, 147 and 154. I fought everybody at 147 and 140. I thought I beat Thurman and I thought beat Porter and I had my opportunities to beat Spence. But, I feel like I did everything that I was supposed to do at 147, even though I didn’t unify the division like I wanted to, I still became champion.”

Somewhat controversial losses to the aforementioned Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter still haunt Garcia. In both instances, fans who tuned in to watch were split down the middle in terms of who they believed should have been given the nod.

With Garcia officially waving goodbye to the welterweight division, he doesn’t have an eye on anyone in particular in soon to be new home. With that said, he knows good and well that he will more than likely be at a weight disadvantage. To offset that, Garcia wants his opponents at his new weight class to be chosen wisely.

“Boxing is all about matchmaking. If you get the right matches at 154 that’s all it’s about. I won’t go up and fight the biggest guy, I’ll do a couple of fights, break myself in then go for the gusto like I always do. Me and Thurman could fight at 54 too.”

While he admits that picking and choosing his opponents will be vital to his future success, Garcia views the move up in weight as a necessity. After spending the past five years squeezing his frame down to the 147 pound limit, Garcia now points to those tiring treadmill sessions as he attempted to peel off the final few pounds before a big fight.

Now, the Philadelphia product smiles as he views those days as being over.

“Sometimes losing all this weight doesn’t help you, it just drains you and stresses you out.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Danny Garcia: “I Feel Like My Next Chapter In My Career Is At 154”
“Boxing is all about matchmaking. If you get the right matches at 154 that’s all it’s about. I won’t go up and fight the biggest guy, I’ll do a couple of fights, break myself in then go for the gusto like I always do. Me and Thurman could fight at 54 too.”

While he admits that picking and choosing his opponents will be vital to his future success, Garcia views the move up in weight as a necessity. After spending the past five years squeezing his frame down to the 147 pound limit, Garcia now points to those tiring treadmill sessions as he attempted to peel off the final few pounds before a big fight.

He knows what he's doing. Self managed boxer. He did the same thing at 147.

Fought a nobody, easy win, then a world title fight.

He wasn't really that good at 147. Couldn't beat any of the top guys. Thurman, Porter, Spence..

[gregregegg]

Really wanted to see him vs Mikey Garcia at 147. I would of thought he could still get good money to fight crawford seeing as crawford needs a credible USA 147 opponent. But yea, 154 is weak and he could defiantly sneak in there and grab a belt or 2 as charlo ends up dropping them, or even fight charlo that would be a good fight...,

it might be making a good call to bail up there before Crawford and Spence do.

[Enlightened-One]

Danny Garcia has been planning to make the jump to 154lbs since 2018.

He's exhausted all of his big-payday opportunities at 147lbs.

And I strongly suspect that Jermell Charlo will announce his intention to make the jump to 160lbs and vacate his 154lbs in the short-term.

And I feel that 154lbs is a weaker division than 147lbs.

So I reckon that Danny Garcia is good enough to claim ownership of one of the newly-vacated 154lbs titles if he's matched against fringe contender calibre opposition.

Danny Garcia will be 33 years of age in a few days time, so he might only have 18 months remaining of his career campaigning as a top-ten world-rated fighter.

So it's sensible for a veteran like Danny Garcia, who was highly competitive against the likes of Spence Jr., Thurman and Porter, to make the jump to 154lbs for what will inevitably be his last hurrah.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Really wanted to see him vs Mikey Garcia at 147. I would of thought he could still get good money to fight crawford seeing as crawford needs a credible USA 147 opponent. But yea, 154 is weak and he could defiantly sneak in there and grab a belt or 2 as charlo ends up dropping them, or even fight charlo that would be a good fight...,

it might be making a good call to bail up there before Crawford and Spence do.

yeh, get there first.. and pick up a belt.

Will be easy to get fights up there, a few PBC guys..

He probably fight Lara for the WBA regular or whatever he has.

[bobcatbox]

Mell would dismantle him at 154.

[Evander]

Who's the front runners for a fight with him at 154 ?
He should fight David Benavidez.

[gilgamesh]

Benavidez is 168.

I don't really see Danny having any real success at 154, but he could remain a somewhat decent contender. Maybe he can snag an easier title if he plays his cards right, and is careful with his matchups which he's usually been pretty good at.

[Evander]

They could fight.

[Enlightened-One]

He should fight David Benavidez.

They could fight.

Don't be silly!

Danny Garcia is only 5’8” and has been campaigning at 147lbs for the last 5½ years. It’ll take time for him to grow into his new 154lbs habitat.

In stark contrast, the 6’1” Benavidez has struggled to get down to 168lbs, to the point he was even stripped of his WBC world super-middleweight title due to failing to make weight.

What on earth would compel you to propose such a physically mismatched “David and Goliath” type bout?

Why don’t you go the whole hog and demand that Danny Garcia should attempt to face the winner of Joshua-Fury?

[Evander]

He should fight David Benavidez.

They could fight.

Don't be silly!

Danny Garcia is only 5’8” and has been campaigning at 147lbs for the last 5½ years. It’ll take time for him to grow into his new 154lbs habitat.

In stark contrast, the 6’1” Benavidez has struggled to get down to 168lbs, to the point he was even stripped of his WBC world super-middleweight title due to failing to make weight.

What on earth would compel you to propose such a physically mismatched “David and Goliath” type bout?

Why don’t you go the whole hog and demand that Danny Garcia should attempt to face the winner of Joshua-Fury?

What are you talking about Garcia has to ease in at 154 ?
Sure there's a grace period so to speak, he's moving up 7 pounds and has probably been walking around at that weight for years anyway.
What's the matter with Garcia v Benavidez ?

[margaret thatcher]

Garcia says he'd fight at 154 my man, Benavidez ain't coming lower than 168, it's not a fight that will ever happen

[Bandog]

It's too bad he couldn't fight Crawford before moving up. Long time ago, but I think they split in the amateurs.

[margaret thatcher]

It's too bad he couldn't fight Crawford before moving up. Long time ago, but I think they split in the amateurs.

danny took Ls to javier molina in the ams, he needs to avenge those first

[brilo33]

dg was finished when he did that all access for thurman fight , he showed after his daughter was born he was different he said he was affaird now to get hurt in the ring as he had to look after her, i knew he was finished then .

[Ruthless-RKO]

Feb or March 2022, he will debut at 154

[ironbeard]

Danny is another boxer who I will watch v anyone. Take a look at his resume. When has he ever been in a stinker? I am happy to hear that he will continue boxing.

After a warmup I wouldn’t mind him v Tszyu.

[Lackeos]

There's not much left at welterweight, but he could still fight Ugas, Abel Ramos, Vergil Ortiz, Mikey Garcia, Ennis, or Butaev. If he isn't legitimately the right size for 154, I dunno if he should really be fighting monsters like Charlo and Hurd.

[Enlightened-One]

Feb or March 2022, he will debut at 154

Within the last 24 hours, Eddy Reynoso (whilst attending a WBC annual convention) stated his belief that Jermall Charlo could become Canelo’s next opponent, because of the American’s commercial popularity (translated: "A fight with Charlo is a more of a media [friendly] fight").

Assuming the Canelo-Charlo bout comes to fruition, this opens up all sorts of possibilities and triggers a daisy-chain of potential career moves:

• Jermall Charlo makes the jump to 168lbs to face Canelo.
• The PBC and Showtime cover the Canelo-Charlo bout.
• Jermell Charlo vacates the 154lbs belts to move to 160lbs and is automatically installed as the mandatory challenger for his brother's old WBC middleweight championship.
• All four 154lbs titles become vacant, with the void eventually filled by PBC fighters.
• Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr. move to 154lbs (based on their long-term ambitions) to claim ownership of one of the newly-vacated super-welterweight straps.
• Terence Crawford becomes a PBC fighter and either remains at welterweight or makes the jump to 154lbs.
• Jaron Ennis captures one of Spence Jr’s newly-vacated 147lbs titles and permanently aligns himself with the PBC.
• David Benavidez beats an opponent with a pulse and faces the eventual winner (or loser) of Canelo-Charlo on another PBC event televised by Showtime.
• Canelo eventually makes the jump to 175lbs, with all the 168lbs straps becoming vacant, with the PBC attempting to fill the void using their own fighters (i.e. Charlo, Plant & Benavidez).

All the pieces of the proverbial jigsaw puzzle appear to be conveniently falling into place for the PBC.

[KiwiRider]

Mell would dismantle him at 154.

Oh, yeah. He definitely doesn't want any of that!
I don't think that fight is on his radar. He is probably hoping Mell will vacate.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Mell would dismantle him at 154.

Oh, yeah. He definitely doesn't want any of that!
I don't think that fight is on his radar. He is probably hoping Mell will vacate.

If the 147 guys move up together, then they're just fighting people their same size.

[KiwiRider]

Mell would dismantle him at 154.

Oh, yeah. He definitely doesn't want any of that!
I don't think that fight is on his radar. He is probably hoping Mell will vacate.

If the 147 guys move up together, then they're just fighting people their same size.

That's true of course, but Mell has a frame that could easily carry the extra weight and some. He seems to puff up heaps in the ring at 147.

[Bandog]

Good luck to DG. Maybe he'll gain strength and endurance moving up, instead of so many spending a lot of time cutting weight when it could be spent training and honing skills.
Crawford wasn't keen on fighting him, offering Amir Khan $2 million more, so who knows how he would have done vs Bud. DG KOd Khan much easier than Bud did.

[ironbeard]

Good luck to DG. Maybe he'll gain strength and endurance moving up, instead of so many spending a lot of time cutting weight when it could be spent training and honing skills.
Crawford wasn't keen on fighting him, offering Amir Khan $2 million more, so who knows how he would have done vs Bud. DG KOd Khan much easier than Bud did.

Danny was in deep trouble in that fight before landing a homerun.

Also, Khan brought a lot more to the table across the pond and beyond.

[margaret thatcher]

crawford dropped khan right away and maybe lost 1 round max out of 5 before stopping khan

garcia was dominated and bloodied up the first 2 rounds, then dropped khan in the 3rd and finished him in the 4th

im not sure where the 'much easier' part comes in


of course, both guys fought like bums compared to the great briedis prescott. 54 seconds bitches