Philly boxing great Danny Garcia is preparing to retire after October fight in Brooklyn

Danny Garcia thought about retiring last year after his father waved off his title fight shortly after the boxer was knocked down for the first time in his career. His bid to become the first Philadelphian to win a world title in three weight classes was a lopsided disappointment. Garcia, fighting for the first time in 28 months, was outclassed last September by middleweight champion Erislandy Lara. For Garcia, the end felt near.

“But the movies always have a great ending. That’s not the ending of the movie I wanted,” Garcia said. “I wanted to be the middleweight champion of the world. That was like The Titanic when he dies at the end. You want him to live, right? So I looked at like, ‘In order for me to end this perfect movie, I have to go off with my hand raised in the air.’”

So Garcia is returning to the ring on Oct. 18 for what he expects to be his final fight. He’ll meet Daniel Gonzalez (22-4-1, 7 knockouts) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where Garcia has fought nine times since headlining the arena’s first boxing card in 2012.

» READ MORE: Jaron Ennis will fight in October at Wells Fargo Center as a bigger bout looms in 2026

He wanted his farewell fight to be outside on the steps of the Art Museum, but it was too late to pull it off. So Garcia thought the Barclays Center — where he was always a fan favorite — would be a fitting setting.

“Never in a million years did I think my home away from home would be at Barclays Center,” said the 37-year-old Garcia, who is also promoting the show. “It was an instant connection. It was like love at first sight.”

Garcia (37-4, 21 KOs) won world titles at junior welterweight and welterweight and fought numerous world champions. His knockout of Amir Khan in July 2012 was a stunner. He followed that by upsetting Lucas Matthysese on the undercard of the massive Floyd Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez fight in Las Vegas a year later.

Garcia is one of Philly’s all-time fighters and his career — which started at the Harrowgate Boxing Club — could one day reach the Hall of Fame.

“I’m just a Puerto Rican kid from North Philly who beat the odds,” Garcia said. “I want to be an inspiration to people that no matter where you come from, you can be successful. No matter if the odds are against you or no one believes in you. If they say you’re this or that. They say you’re too slow or not talented. As long as you believe in yourself, that’s the most important thing.” Never let people tell you can’t be something.”

Garcia is planning to end his career against Gonzalez, but could he be tempted to keep going if he scores an impressive win?

» READ MORE: Danny Garcia’s father fought back from a stroke. He’ll be in his corner for his title shot.

“I know that’s how I’ll feel, like ‘Let’s keep going’ because I’m a fighter,” Garcia said. “But I’d really have to sit back and think about my family, my kids, and my health. That’s the most important thing to me. I feel like I gave the fans so many great fights in my career and I just don’t want to take it too far chasing money and chasing belts.”

Garcia promoted his first boxing card last summer in Atlantic City and promoted two shows in Philadelphia. He said he invested his money, purchased real estate, and positioned himself for life after boxing. Being a promoter will be his next chapter. But he still has a fight left in him.

“That’s the storybook ending that we want,” Garcia said. “The final chapter. Walking out with your hand raised and giving just one last fight to your fans. I’m really doing this for the fans. I’m not doing this for any other reason. I’m not doing it for the money. I’m not doing it for belts. I’m strictly doing this for my fans. I feel like they deserve to see me go out with a win.”