Erislandy Lara vs. Danny Garcia | PBC - September 14, 2024

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga official for September 14th on Prime and DAZN PPV

Erislandy Lara faces Danny Garcia in the co-feature

As expected, Canelo Alvarez’s next title defense will see him face WBA mandatory challenger Edgar Berlanga in the main event of a September 14th Prime/DAZN PPV.

The co-feature sees WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (30-3-3, 18 KO) face Danny Garcia (37-3, 21 KO) in a fight that’s been on the table for several years. Lara was last seen smoking mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa in March, making 2024 his first multi-fight year since 2019, while Garcia hasn’t fought at all since beating a hobbled Jose Benavidez Jr in his 2022 super welterweight debut.

That effort somehow earned Garcia the no. 11 spot in the WBA’s middleweight rankings.

“My fight with Danny García will be a classic battle between two legendary fighters of our era,” said Lara. “We’ve both faced the best, have impressive resumes and have competed at the top level for a long time. I’m excited for this fight. I encourage all my Mexican fans to tune in on Mexican Independence Day, bring your flags and support this great event. I will represent not only Cuba, but also Mexico on this day against Puerto Rico. To everyone watching at T-Mobile Arena and on the pay-per-view on Prime Video, you will witness greatness in the ring throughout the action-packed night of boxing. I look forward to putting on a show and being the first to knock out Danny García. This will be an epic showdown!”

“This is a legacy fight and an opportunity to win a championship in my third weight class,” said García. “Lara is a great champion who’s been around for a while, but so have I. On Sept. 14, I’m bringing the Danny García show to Las Vegas and making it a historic night.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo weight is returning

Garcia is bypassing 154 by one pound and going for the MW belt.

Could become 3-weight champion

[Ruthless-RKO]

PBC will make this fight quick.

[Mexi-Box]

Lara is so negative that he can easily lose this one by not doing anything but running. Garcia will just have to keep moving forward and could easily win, i.e. Rigondeaux/Casimiero. Casimiero won just by moving forward since Rigondeaux acted like punching deducted money from his purse or something.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lara has been ordered to fight Zerafa.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Danny Garcia Eager To Shock Lara, Then Wants Canelo, GGG or Spence

Danny Garcia appeared listless as he plodded around the ring on December 5th, 2020. Despite being given a world opportunity against unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr., the Philadelphia native failed to pull out the victory.

While Garcia has officially inserted his fresh blood into the 154-pound division, he’s ostensibly uninterested in protracting his stay. According to the now vivacious contender, a showdown against Erislandy Lara, the WBA titleholder at 160 pounds, is what he craves above all else.

But while Garcia has yet to end the Cuban’s title reign, he’s already looking ahead to bigger and better things.

“After that, I want the biggest fight possible,” said Garcia to YSM Sports Media when asked what he plans on doing if he usurps Lara. “After that fight, I’ll be the middleweight champion. I’ll fight the biggest fight possible.”

Lara, a former unified titlist at 154 pounds, has called out Garcia on several occasions, going as far as to say that he would meet the Philadelphia product at a catchweight of 155 pounds.

With his eyes widening in excitement, Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) quickly accepted the 39-year-old’s challenge. Although he respects what Lara brings to the table, at this stage in his career, Garcia is confident that his ability to take a punch and box from the outside will be a bit too much for Lara to handle.

Throughout his career, Garcia has always been willing to play the waiting game. With a long list of highly ranked contenders and current champions continuing to mention his name, Garcia moved away from his normally stoic demeanor.

Of course, a victory over Lara is the first move in his chess game. Nevertheless, if everything goes according to plan, Garcia believes that the dam will ultimately break, leading to him partaking in countless big-time showdowns.

“A rematch with (Errol) Spence, I’ll fight Canelo, GGG (Gennadiy Golovkin), anybody. I want the biggest fights made after this fight.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Why would the WBA even sanction this?

In part because of the disparity in weight, in part because, according to WBA president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, “There are welterweights that Brook can face, there are middleweights that Golovkin can face,” the World Boxing Association chose to not sanction the fight.

[Bandog]

If this happens, it's absolute BS. DG isn't even at 160, or ranked there. Ffs fight Janibek or someone at the weight at least.

And add to that a fornicating catchweight? Smh

[stujones]

Its not a catchweight if both are in the Middleweight limit if you ask me. If Lara has agreed to boil down to low in the Middleweight limit that is up to him but both are fighting at MW.

Catchweight is when Fighter 1 is at one weight category and Fighter 2 is at another category.

[Ruthless-RKO]

What a farce.
WBA allowing this.

[Redback Rasta]

What a farce.
WBA allowing this.

Zerafa may live to regret stepping aside, even if he is getting paid to do it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Erislandy Lara to defend middleweight title vs. Danny Garcia

Erislandy Lara will defend his middleweight title vs. Danny Garcia on Aug. 5, the WBA announced Thursday.

The Showtime main event is expected to take place at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, sources said, at a 155-pound catchweight.

PBC has been planning a fight between Lara and Garcia for months, but Michael Zerafa stood in the way. The 31-year-old Australian was the mandatory challenger to Lara's title, but he agreed to step aside after he was offered an undercard slot, Zerafa's manager, Elvis Grant, told ESPN.

"PBC were more than fair in reasonably working this out with Team Zerafa," Grant said.

Zerafa (30-4, 19 KOs) is ESPN's No. 10 middleweight.

The WBA stipulated that the winner must face Zerafa by December or face being stripped.

Lara, 40, was elevated as champion after Gennadiy Golovkin relinquished his title. A former 154-pound champion, Lara's impressive résumé includes a controversial decision loss to Paul Williams, a split decision defeat to Canelo Alvarez and a victory over Austin Trout.

The Cuban's split decision defeat to Jarrett Hurd in a 154-pound title unification was ESPN's 2018 Fight of the Year. Lara's draw with Brian Castano the following year was one of the best fights of 2019.

Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) has competed four times since the Castano bout, all of them against domestic-level competition. Three of those four wins came inside the distance.

Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is a former unified 140-pound champion and 147-pound titleholder. He rose to prominence with an upset fourth-round TKO victory over Amir Khan in 2012 and followed up with an impressive victory over Lucas Matthysse the following year.

His lengthy résumé includes wins over Erik Morales, Zab Judah and Lamont Peterson, along with tight decision defeats to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. The 35-year-old Philadelphian made his 154-pound debut in July with a majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr.

That was Garcia's first fight since a December 2020 decision loss to Errol Spence Jr.

[giacomino]

Lara has to be one of the top 5 biggest fraud paper beltholders in boxing

[gregregegg]

Iv said this a million times, the governing body’s need to ban catchweights and hydration clauses (and rematch clauses) when they have belts on the line.

I’m all for no belt catchweights, think it’s a great way to get super fights but the gov body’s gotta make the rules, not the fighters…

[gilgamesh]

I feel like Lara and Garcia are 2 guys that have just kinda been there for years now. Nobody is really a fan of 'em. Nobody is clamoring to see 'em. They're just...there.

Now they're there against each other.

Lara likely wins because he's bigger, but you can take one thing to the goddamn bank. It's going the distance.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Don’t think Lara is that big.

They’re both just a bunch on light middleweights.

[apollo creed]

just another mockery paper title fight

mw division is a joke atm

[Mexi-Box]

What a farce.
WBA allowing this.

Zerafa may live to regret stepping aside, even if he is getting paid to do it.

Doesn't make sense unless he loses his next fight. Dude either fights Lara for very little money and viewers or he might get a chance against the more popular but smaller Garcia (anyone is more popular than Lara). Seems like a win to me.

[Mexi-Box]

I feel like Lara and Garcia are 2 guys that have just kinda been there for years now. Nobody is really a fan of 'em. Nobody is clamoring to see 'em. They're just...there.

Now they're there against each other.

Lara likely wins because he's bigger, but you can take one thing to the goddamn bank. It's going the distance.

I'm pretty sure hepatitis is more popular than Lara. Garcia had a bit of a following, so 100% Zerafa should be rooting for Garcia. Zerafa/Lara ends up on some Rolly Romero undercard. Garcia/Zerafa would be a headliner if Garcia manages a win.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Danny Garcia On Erislandy Lara Showdown: “3 Division Champ Coming Soon”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Danny Garcia states the obvious

Danny 'Swift' Garcia posted the obvious on Twitter: "FYI Garcia vs. [Erislandy] Lara fight is not happening this weekend on August 5th. Fights is still in talks for a new date. I see a lot of people posting about it. Will keep y’all updated."

[Bandog]

Its not a catchweight if both are in the Middleweight limit if you ask me. If Lara has agreed to boil down to low in the Middleweight limit that is up to him but both are fighting at MW.

Catchweight is when Fighter 1 is at one weight category and Fighter 2 is at another category.

Exactly what they are doing.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Erislandy Lara Expects To Fight Danny Garcia Next, Confident of Victory

WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara has been training in Las Vegas for several days now - and that means his next fight is not far away. Although the veteran does not have an exact date, he states that his upcoming appointment to return to the ring should occur between October and November.

For a long time, there has been talk of a fight against former two-division beltholder Danny Garcia. At the moment, everything seems to be going forward because Lara himself comments that it's almost confirmed and he is only waiting for a definitive indication from his team, which is headed by manager Luis DeCubas Jr.

“I think the fight [with Danny Garcia] is confirmed,” Lara expressed to George Ebro. “I think it will be at the end of October, I just hope my manager confirms it. I'm going to come out victorious."

Although Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is fighting under the banner of Premier Boxing Champions, Lara is not even thinking about the possibility of a rematch in the future.

Lara lost a close twelve round split decision to Canelo in 2014.

“What happened with Canelo, that happened eight years, that was left behind in history, on my record and on Canelo's. It was an important fight and you already know what happened,” Lara said.

Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) is training hard and not overlooking the challenge from Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs), a former unified 140 pound champion and a former champion at 147 pounds.

“I continue to take care of myself and continuing to work is what keeps me in shape. The motivation to continue at my age is because of my children. I owe everything to my children, to give the best to them, to my family, to my wife and to move forward. That is the most important," Lara said.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This will be part of the December Showtime final PPV

[Evander]

December 9th MGM Grand Vegas ?
I'll watch it.
Make a high level undercard fight.