GOOD
Danny Garcia didn’t get the knockout he wanted in front of what amounted to his hometown fans Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. And his opponent bit him on the shoulder. Other than that, he had a pretty good night.
Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) dominated tough, but overmatched Ivan Redkach en route to a one-sided decision. Just as important, he got in good work after a nine-month layoff. And just as important as that, he gained valuable experience against a capable left-handed fighter, which should help prepare him for what he hopes will come soon.
The goal is to get either Manny Pacquiao or Errol Spence Jr. — both southpaws — into the ring in what would be Garcia’s first big fight since he lost a close decision to Shawn Porter in September 2018.
Garcia said immediately after the fight that he doesn’t have a preference – he even mentioned a few others he’d like to fight – but Pacquiao is the obvious prize given the amount of money to be made.
I don’t think Garcia gave a great performance on Saturday but he demonstrated that he remains the clever, resilient boxer-puncher that he has always been. And I believe that fighter would give either Pacquiao or Spence a great deal of trouble if they were to meet, especially Pacquiao.
I was as impressed as anyone with the Filipino icon’s performance against Keith Thurman in July but it’s clear he can fight only in spurts at 40-plus, which was enough against a rusty Thurman. And I’ll never be shocked at anything Pacquiao accomplishes. I just don’t think this version of Pacquiao matches up well with a talented, experienced counterpuncher like Garcia.
Spence? I would pick him to beat Garcia because I think he’s a better all-around fighter but I believe Garcia would push him.
All in all, I’m glad Garcia is back and in position to fight for a title again.
BAD
I was surprised when Garcia said he had to lose 25 pounds in camp for his fight against Redkach.
I’m not saying I had a good handle on Garcia’s habits between fights. I didn’t. I just would’ve thought of him as a professional who wouldn’t put himself in a position to have to lose that kind of weight, even after a long layoff.
He said he felt good, not great on Saturday. And he acknowledged that the weight loss might’ve slowed him down to some degree. It probably did.
The good news is that he recognizes where he went wrong and said after the fight that he won’t fall into that trap again, although time will tell whether he has truly learned a lesson.
“I promised myself that I’m going to stay in the gym now and stay in shape,” he said.
I don’t believe it’s realistic to expect the majority of professional fighters to develop the discipline and habits of such legendary fitness fanatics as Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins. They’re freaks.
I do think it’s reasonable to expect fighters to be athletes year round. They should arrive at training camp in good shape so they can focus on strategy and other crucial fight-related factors, not weight loss.
Any fighter who has been through it will tell you that ballooning in weight between fights can adversely affect his performances and shorten his career.
Maybe this should be a mantra: Training begins the day after your most recent fight.
WORSE
Those who were critical of Jarrett Hurd’s performance went a little too far.
The guy is with a new trainer. He’s trying to change his style to become a better fighter and extend his career, which is no easy task. That’s why his fight against Francisco Santana on the Garcia-Redkach card should be seen as only a first step in that direction.
I thought Hurd looked pretty good in some respects. He used his length well by jabbing consistently and following with plenty of hard, accurate power shots. He landed a healthy 47% of his power punches, according to CompuBox.
Hurd isn’t as gifted as Stephen Fulton, who also fought on the Garcia-Redkach card. He isn’t unusually quick or athletic. He’s a big, strong guy who made his name by overwhelming his opponents with physical pressure.
Now, after his limitations were exposed in a stunning loss to Julian Williams in May, he is trying to get better. He split with trainer Ernest Rodriguez and hired Kay Koroma, who he believes can help him evolve as a boxer.
I love the fact that Kormoa said he wouldn’t work Hurd if he insisted upon exercising a rematch clause in his contract with Williams, his way of saying “we have a lot of work to do.”
That work has begun. Hurd had the opportunity to show his progress on Saturday. He had reason to be pleased. He obviously wasn’t frustrated, as post-fight interviewer Jim Gray suggested.
“There was definitely no frustration in there,” Hurd said. “We didn’t want to go toe to toe and we didn’t want to make this a risky fight.”
Will Hurd become a great fighter? Probably not. Can he get better? I think so. Give him time.