Garcia eyes 1st East Coast bout as champ

TO BE PERFECTLY honest, Danny Garcia could have moved his training site.

The 24-year-old Philadelphian is the super lightweight world champion.

He's coming off a career-altering knockout victory over highly touted star Amir Kahn in July, and on Oct. 20 he'll headline the card with a rematch against future Hall of Famer Erik "El Terrible" Morales, as big-time boxing returns to Brooklyn, N.Y.

The newly opened Barclays Center is touted as an entertainment complex that will rival the famed Madison Square Garden.

Garcia's fight against Morales, from whom he took the WBC title in March, is billed as being part of the first world-championship fight card in Brooklyn since 1931.

It's a long way from the gym of Harrowgate Boxing Club Inc., almost hidden among the row houses on East Venango Street. But Harrowgate is home for Garcia - and home, family and familiarity have always been keys for him.

So that's where he was Thursday, holding a media workout day outside the ring on the gym's second floor.

Considering how well things haves worked out so far for Garcia (24-0, 15 KOs), who would debate Harrowgate with him?

"I'm just excited to be a part of bringing a big-time fight back to Brooklyn," said Garcia, the resident of Juniata Park who is fighting on the East Coast for the first time since a fight 2 years ago at South Philly Arena.

"We wanted to have this fight on the East Coast. I've gotten a lot of support from family, friends and people who tell me they are going to be there.

"I got to headline a fight in Las Vegas [the victory over Kahn] and now I'm headlining one in New York."

The fight is the second time around with Morales, who made his professional debut on March 29, 1993 - 9 days after Garcia turned 5.

In their first meeting, in Houston, Garcia knocked down Morales (52-8, 36 KOs) in the 11th round en route to a 12-round unanimous decision.

"[Morales] gave me a shot at the title when nobody knew me," Garcia said. "I was a young kid. He had nothing to gain if he beat me. He would have beaten a young kid with no experience.

"The only difference this time is I'm the champion and he's the challenger. The result will be the same."

The Morales camp has since irritated Danny and his outspoken father/trainer Angel Garcia by saying that the loss was due to Morales having gall-bladder surgery 2 months before.

"Danny Garcia basically took advantage and won the world championship," Morales' father, Jesus, said in August when the fight was announced.

Angel Garcia said that if his son had lost, he would have been quiet and not tried to make excuses.

"They come out after and say [Morales] had surgery," Angel Garcia said. "We don't even know if he had surgery. Even if he did, you don't say that as an excuse.

"The only thing different Danny has to do this time is use his youth. I said Danny was going to win in five. Danny said 'four,' and you know he doesn't like to talk like I do."