Undefeated world champion Danny “Swift” Garcia talked about some of his favorite moments and biggest influences from his long career in advance of his Premier Boxing Champions on Spike showdown this Saturday against Colombia’s Samuel Vargas from Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
Coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated rising star Jarrett Hurd battling former title challenger Jo Jo Dan plus former world champion Javier Fortuna taking on unbeaten Omar Douglas.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DSG Promotions and King’s Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200. Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive and raise money throughout the promotion. For more information on how to get involved, visit the event’s webpage HERE.
Here is what Garcia had to say when looking back at some moments from his career so far:
Q: What do you consider to be the best performance of your career?
Danny Garcia: The best performance of my career, I believe, was against Lucas Matthysse. I was the unified world champion, I was a 3-to-1 underdog, he was knocking everybody out. I don’t think one person in the world thought I’d win that fight, but I knew deep in my heart I was the better fighter.
Q: What’s your favorite punch in the ring?
DG: My favorite punch is actually my right hand, but for some reason the left hook knocks everybody out. So I don’t know, man. Whatever punch lands, I try to use all my punches and different weapons in different angles. I try to use each hand as the set-up punch for the next punch. So I don’t really have a favorite punch. A lot of people think it’s my left hook, I like the right hand better, but the left hook just knocks everybody out.
Q: Which opponent you fought hit you the hardest?
DG: The two strongest opponents I’ve fought with the best punching power were Kendall Holt and Lucas Matthysse. They kind of had the same kind of power. It was like a thumping shot, and when they hit you, you felt like “Ooh, this man can punch.”
Q: Who was the hardest opponent for you to hit in your career?
DG: The hardest opponent I had to hit was probably Lamont Peterson. He was moving a lot, he wasn’t trying to engage with me at all, was trying to use the ring a lot with lateral movement. He came with a good game plan.
Q: Who was the fastest opponent you’ve faced?
DG: Fastest fighter, hands down, Amir Khan. He is the fastest fighter I’ve ever fought.
Q: What was the best atmosphere you’ve ever fought in?
DG: Barclays Center is No. 1. I’d probably say the Zab Judah fight. We hold the gate (record), the most fans to go to Barclays for a boxing event. It was like a concert.
Q: When was the maddest your dad ever got at you during a fight?
DG: My dad is always mad. He’s happy sometimes, but when it’s fight time, he’s always mad. That’s all I can say.
Q: Are there any fighters you watched growing up who you style yourself after? Or are there any fighters out there who maybe remind you of yourself?
DG: I take a lot from different fighters. (Felix) Trinidad, I loved his left hook. Prince Naseem Hamed, I loved how he wore the animal print, and then I did that. Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, those are fighters I looked up to. (Julio Cesar) Chavez, going to the body, that left hook to the body. I take a lot of things from other fighters’ arsenals and put it into my style. But I never try to be any other fighter. I try to be myself.
Q: When you meet him next March, where will Keith Thurman rank among the opponents you’ve faced in your career?
DG: Like I said, I’ve fought 10 current or former world champions in my career. He’s just another guy, another champ I need to dethrone. That’s basically it.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions.