Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter share a common thread in their careers: Both lost to Keith Thurman. Now, they will vie for the belt Thurman once held.
The two 30-year-olds will square off in Saturday’s headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the vacant WBC welterweight title, which Thurman vacated in April due to injury, in a fight that carries long-term ramifications for one of boxing’s best divisions.
“I feel good,” Garcia (34-1, 20 KOs) told amNewYork. “I feel great. I’m ready to fight.”
Porter (28-2-1, 17 KOs), known for his physical and aggressive style, will probably test the more measured Garcia throughout the bout. But Garcia insisted he is ready for anything.
“I gotta go in there and fight a solid fight and just make adjustments as the rounds go on,” he said.
Garcia, who fights out of Philadelphia, returned to the ring in February for the first time since suffering his first professional defeat, beating Brandon Rios via ninth-round TKO. Porter hasn’t fought since November, when he scored a unanimous decision victory over Adrian Granados.
Upon returning from injuries to his elbow and hand, Thurman will surely have a chance to reclaim the title he vacated. But for Garcia, a potential rematch isn’t on the top of his mind.
“I just gotta take it one fight at a time, get this title, take it one fight at a time, and keep making my mark in the sport,” he said.
As for the fight in front of him, Garcia offered a firm prediction for Saturday.
“TKO, Round 9,” he said.
