What’s next for Philly boxer Danny Garcia after unanimous decision loss to Errol Spence?
Danny Garcia lost his third welterweight championship fight, but he may find opportunities at 154 if he moves up.
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Saturday’s fight against Errol Spence was important for Danny Garcia’s legacy.
It was a chance to regain the welterweight championship and bring the belts back to the fighting city of Philadelphia. It was also a chance to cement a hall of fame caliber career.
More questions than answers remain after Garcia’s unanimous decision loss to Spence.
“I can’t make no excuses man,” Garcia said in his post-fight presser. “I hold my head high, no matter what.”
It’s not like Garcia wasn’t sharp. His counter punching ability shined early as he answered Spence’s biggest shots with his own. But Spence was just too smart for that strategy to last 12 rounds.
So what’s next? Garcia recently said he’s in the prime of his career, and he still looks like a top-five challenger in the 147-pound division.
Welterweight is one of the best divisions in boxing. It’s not just because Spence, Manny Pacquiao and Terrence Crawford are at the top, but challengers like Garcia, Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman are legit. Not to mention, up-and-coming Vergil Ortiz, Rashidi Ellis and fellow Philly fighter Jaron Ennis.
A rematch with Thurman would be a best case scenario at 147, but that seems unlikely. Garcia fought opponents much lower on the welterweight totem pole after his previous two losses and knocked out both.
Garcia has also talked about moving up to 154 pounds. He would become one of the division’s top challengers.
“We’ll go to [154], but the weight is not the problem,” trainer and father Angel Garcia said. “You still got to sacrifice because if you go to 154, you’re walking around 190 pounds.”
Spence said he doesn’t except to fight again until the summer, and a similar timeline should be expected for Garcia. He had layoffs of nine and 10 months before his previous two fights.
His championships days at 147 may be over, but Garcia could find opportunities at 154 or another welterweight championship shot down the road. Important decisions are ahead, but Garcia made no excuses.
“I’m proud of myself,” Garcia said. “I came a long way. I will be back. It’s nothing to really cry about. I beat champions, champions beat me. That’s the name of the sport.”