Tell Danny Garcia that he’s the underdog and he smiles. Suggest that he doesn’t get the credit he deserves and he shrugs. He’s used to it.
Garcia knows what he’s capable of because he has more big victories than all but a handful of boxers in the world. And the former two-division titleholder plans to collect one more on Saturday, when he challenges welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, Spence’s hometown.
Spence is a 3½-1 favorite (BetMGM) to beat Garcia, who consensus says is the inferior all-around fighter and naturally smaller man.
“It’s crazy,” Garcia said. “I’ve been the underdog my whole career. When I’m not the underdog, I don’t feel right. So I’m right where I want to be right now. I’m in my comfort zone.”
Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) is a special fighter, no question about it. And, yes, he’s a big, strong 147-pounder.
Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) has by far the more robust track record. The Philadelphia fighter is a former two-division champion who has lost only twice in his career, close decisions against former 147-pound champs Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, who lost a tight fight against Spence.
And consider his remarkable run between 2011 and 2018. He defeated in succession: Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Morales again, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Maurico Herrera, Rod Salka, Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero.
That led to the Thurman and Porter fights, both of which could’ve gone either way. He could be 38-0 and on every pound-for-pound list had he won a few more rounds in those fights.
As it is, Garcia, 32, has proved repeatedly for a decade that he can win big fights. And he believes people have taken notice.
“I feel like numbers don’t lie at the end of the day,” said the Philadelphia fighter. “This is a numbers game. … If the media pumps you like a superstar and the fans don’t like you, you can’t force the fans to like you, you can’t force them to buy tickets, you can’t force them to watch you fight.
“I proved that no matter what people say about me, they come to watch me. And my fans love me.”
Spence’s fans love him too. And there will many of them on hand – socially distanced — Saturday at the Dallas Cowboys home stadium, which could give the titleholder an advantage.
Of course, that doesn’t faze Garcia. Fighting for a world title as the underdog in enemy territory doesn’t make him nervous. It makes him excited.
He can’t wait for his latest challenge.
“It’s definitely the energy I like, the chip I like to have on my shoulder,” he said. “It’s like I’m proving myself all over again after so many world title fights and big events, and I have to prove myself again.
“That’s what keeps me going.”
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