Boxing
Danny Garcia on seeing potential path to pound-for-pound great after Erislandy Lara bout
Watch Mayweather vs. Gotti III on DAZN (exc. MEX)
After more than a two-year layoff, Danny Garcia will challenge WBA middleweight world champion Erislandy Lara as the co-main event to Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga on September 14, live on DAZN.
Though it might be an outside shot, Garcia sees a win over Lara possibly granting him a pathway to a Terence Crawford mega fight.
“I’m only focused on Lara, but after this fight I’ll look to do whatever makes the most sense," Garcia began telling reporters during his media workout in his hometown of Philadelphia on Wednesday.
"Obviously I want the biggest names like Terence Crawford, Sebastian Fundora, Carlos Adames, or any of the top guys."
Just earlier this month, Crawford became a four-division world champion by defeating Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision to capture the WBA super welterweight title.
A win over Lara and perhaps Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) and Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) could renew their rivalry from the amateurs, but this time at 154 pounds.
If not, Garcia tacked on that he'd also like to avenge his losses, "so Errol Spence Jr. or Keith Thurman fights would definitely be something I pursue.”
All that being said, the 36-year-old Garcia concedes that he's not in a position to overlook a crafty veteran like Lara, but that he's up to the task of defeating him.
“Lara is definitely very skilled, but I’ve faced so many highly-skilled fighters throughout my career, from Zab Judah and Amir Khan to Keith Thurman and so many more," Garcia offered. "I feel like I’ve always done a solid job with southpaws as well. You have to look at it the other way too, because I’m definitely the best fighter he’s fought in a long time."
He added: “Lara is definitely a tricky fighter, he's one of the best boxers you can get in the ring with skill-wise. I know I have my work cut out for me, but we have the right game plan and we are going to go in there and execute."
Garcia defeated José Benavidez Jr. via majority decision in his last fight back in July 2022. A victory over Lara and Garcia will become a three-division world champion, having already reigned as a super lightweight and welterweight titleholder.
Live on DAZN: Check your region for PFL and PFL Europe on DAZN. Click here for details.
