Mikey Garcia, Adrien Broner make weight for Saturday’s bout in Brooklyn

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Robert Morales

Mikey Garcia holds up his lightweight championship belt after taking it from Dejan Zlaticanin via third-round knockout in January at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Getty Images photo by Steve Marcus

Mikey Garcia and Adrien Broner on Friday successfully made weight for their junior welterweight bout Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

Broner, who in April 2016 lost his junior welterweight title when he came in overweight for a defense against Ashley Theophane, weighed 138 3/4 pounds, easily making the 140-pound limit. Garcia weighed 139 1/2.

Broner, 28, of Cincinnati, is 33-2 with 24 knockouts. He has won world titles in four weight classes. Garcia, 29, of Moreno Valley via Oxnard, is 36-0 with 30 knockouts and has won titles in three weight classes.

This is a non-title fight.

Mikey Garcia, Adrien Broner discuss their reasons for fighting one another

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Robert Morales

Mike Garcia poses with referee Tony Weeks after Garcia knocked out Dejan Zlaticanin in the third round in January to win the lightweight world title at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Getty Images photo by Steve Marcus

Hate on Adrien Broner all you want, but the man has won titles in four weight classes, so his accomplishments speak for themselves. That’s why a fight between Broner and three-division world champion Mikey Garcia is a good thing.

That fight was announced this week for July 29 at a site to be determined (on Showtime). They will fight at the 140-pound junior welterweight limit. The interested parties on Thursday spoke on a conference call about what should be a terrific fight.

“I mean, I’ve done a lot,” said Broner, 27, of Cincinnati. “I’ve done a lot in the sport already at a young age. I’ve watched Mikey Garcia come up before and at the same time I came up. I’ve always wanted to fight the best. The best fight the best and that’s what’s going on today.

“This fight is going to be a tremendous fight and I’m bringing my ‘A’ game. I know a lot of people are probably counting me out.”

Garcia is not among them. He’s too smart for that. He took this fight because he knows Broner is dangerous. That, in turn, sparks plenty of interest.

“It is the biggest fight available for me right now,” said Garcia, 29, of Moreno Valley via Oxnard. “Originally, my plan was to unify at 135 (lightweight). If that was not available, I would look at a big name to defend my title at lightweight. But that wasn’t quite available.

“Adrien Broner is a much bigger name and a much bigger star who has accomplished a lot in the sport. So it just made more sense to go and pursue the Adrien Broner fight than a regular title defense.”

Garcia, 29, is 36-0 with 30 knockouts. Broner is 33-2 with 24 knockouts.

Former two-champion Mikey Garcia eyeing big accomplishments in 2017

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Robert Morales

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE After a lengthy legal battle with Top Rank, Oxnard's Mikey Garcia is free to sign with another promotional company and hopes to get back into the ring in the near future.

Mikey Garcia will fight for a title in a third weight class Jan. 28 in Las Vegas/Associated Press file photo

Mikey Garcia has big goals for 2017. He will start trying to accomplishing them Jan. 28 when he challenges Dejan Zlaticanin of Montenegro for his lightweight title at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime).

“I’m really happy to have been given this opportunity to claim a world title in a third division,” said Garcia, who has won titles at featherweight and super featherweight. “This is going to be an amazing fight. He’s a hungry world champion, he’s very dangerous. These are the kind of fights I want. This is what I need to prove myself.

“This is only the beginning. This is going to be a huge year for me. I want to win multiple titles and maybe conquer multiple divisions this year.”

Garcia, of Oxnard, did not fight for 2 1/2 years because of a contract dispute with his former promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. After a settlement, Garcia got back into the ring this past July 30 and stopped Elio Rojas in the fifth round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Garcia, 28, is 35-0 with 29 knockouts. Zlaticanin, 32, is 22-0 with 15 knockouts. They will tangle underneath the featherweight championship rematch between Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights and Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland.

Dejan Zlaticanin predicts knockout of Mikey Garcia on Dec. 10 at Galen Center

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Robert Morales

Dejan Zlaticanin

Dejan Zlaticanin/Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

Dejan Zlaticanin of Montenegro won the lightweight world title with a third-round stoppage of Franklin Mamani of Bolivia in June in Verona, N.Y. It made him kind of a big deal in his homeland.

“To be the first world champion from Montenegro is historic,” Zlaticanin said. “I think it’s made me a national hero in the country and I’m honored. The people in my country love me and I love them back.”

Zlaticanin (22-0, 15 KOs) wants them to love him even more and he figures a successful title defense over someone like Mikey Garcia will do just that. The two square off Dec. 10 at Galen Center (on Showtime) underneath the main event between Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens and featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar of Argentina.

“When I beat Mikey Garcia, that will make me an even bigger star,” Zlaticanin said at Thursday’s news conference in Los Angeles. “I think Mikey is a good puncher, and he has good timing, but I can hit him easily and I’m planning to knock him out.”

Garcia (35-0, 29 KOs), of Oxnard, has won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight. He relishes the chance to win one in a third.

“I’m really happy to have been given this opportunity to claim a world title in a third division,” Garcia said. “This is going to be an amazing fight. He’s a hungry world champion. He’s very dangerous. These are the kind of fights that I want. This is what I need to prove myself.”

Mikey Garcia brimming with confidence ahead of first fight in 2 1/2 years

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Robert Morales

Mikey Garcia speaks at Thursday’s final news conference/Photo by Ed Diller, Dibella Entertainment

Some fighters might be a bit worried about having a fight for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Not Mikey Garcia. He’s brimming with as much confidence as ever.

“I have better skills than any fighter put in front of me,” said Garcia, who Saturday will take on Elio Rojas in a junior welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime). “This will be the beginning of the next stage of my career, the most memorable part of my career.

Garcia, who was speaking at Thursday’s final news conference, has not fought since January 2014, when he defended his super featherweight title with a wide decision over Juan Carlos Burgos at Madison Square Garden.

Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs) then got into a contract hassle with his then-promoter, Bob Arum, and has not fought since. Garcia, who has won titles at featherweight and super featherweight, is now a free agent.

Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, is expecting to beat Garcia.

“In this fight, I know I’m being brought in as an opponent,” said Rojas, a former featherweight champion. “But I’m going to let the fans know that I’m not just an opponent.

“I know who Mikey Garcia is. I have all the abilities to win on July 30. I’ve always been a boxer who was never protected. I always prepare to win the fight and this will be no exception.”

Rojas has had a layoff of 23 months.

Garcia-Rojas will fight underneath the featherweight world-title fight between champion Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights and Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland.

Elio Rojas will be eager to show he still has ‘elite’ ability when he fights Mikey Garcia underneath Santa Cruz-Frampton

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Robert Morales

Elio Rojas/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

Elio Rojas of the Dominican Republic is a former featherweight world champion. But he doesn’t believe he was ever afforded the proper appreciation for that, so that’s one reason why he decided to accept a fight with former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia.

The two will tangle Saturday underneath the featherweight title fight between champion Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights and Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

“I’m taking this fight because I mean to show the world I’m an elite fighter, and the only way to show it is to beat the elite fighter, which is Garcia,” Rojas said. “That’s why I need to show the world that I’m able to be on top with the big names. I deserve this opportunity because the public never gave me the respect that I deserved.”

Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), of Oxnard, is a former featherweight and super featherweight champion. He has not fought for 2 1/2 years because of a contract dispute with his now-former promoter, Bob Arum.

Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs) has had a long layoff, as well. He lost his title to Jhonny Gonzalez via decision in April 2012, took more than two years off, came back and won an eight-round decision over journeyman Robert Osiobe of Nigeria in August 2014 and has not fought since.

Mikey Garcia doesn’t buy notion he’ll have ring rust in comeback fight

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Robert Morales

MIkey Garcia shakes out for reporters Tuesday at City of Angels Boxing Gym in Los Angeles/Photo by Esther Lin, Showtime

It’s always interesting to hear fighters try to convince themselves that sparring is the same as a real fight, or at least close. By and large, that’s the type of comment a fighter coming off a long layoff will make. It’s what Mikey Garcia told reporters Tuesday during a workout at City of Angels Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.

Garcia on July 30 will make his long-awaited return to the ring following a hiatus of 2 1/2 years, no thanks to a contract dispute with his former promoter Bob Arum. Garcia will take on Elio Rojas of the Dominican Republic in a 10-round junior welterweight bout underneath the featherweight title fight between champion Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

Garcia was asked about the difficulty of shaking the cobwebs after being out of the ring so long. His response was curious, but not surprising.

“I don’t believe there will be ring rust because I was never really outside of the ring,” said Garcia, of Oxnard. “I’ve been in the gym the whole time, sparring and training. I would spar 10 or 12 rounds, just to do it. Not because I had a fight, but just to keep me active. I know it seems like a long time, but I don’t really see it. I feel like I was gone six months.”

Garcia, 28, is 34-0 with 28 knockouts. He has won titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions. Although this fight is at junior welterweight, afterward he wants to move down to lightweight.

Rojas, 33, is a former featherweight champion. He is 24-2 with 14 knockouts and is perhaps the perfect opponent for Garcia as he himself has been out of the ring nearly two years.

Mikey Garcia to return July 30 in Brooklyn after layoff of nearly 2 1/2 years

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Robert Morales

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE After a lengthy legal battle with Top Rank, Oxnard's Mikey Garcia is free to sign with another promotional company and hopes to get back into the ring in the near future.

Mike Garcia of Oxnard will come out of a 2 1/2-year layoff on July 30/Associated Press file photo

Mikey Garcia has not fought in nearly 2 1/2 years, no thanks to contractual issues with his former promoter – Top Rank Inc. Don’t look now, but Garcia is back and the ultra-talented former world champion will make his long-awaited return to the ring when he takes on Elio Rojas on July 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (Showtime).

Garcia was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world before his long layoff, having won world titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions while going 34-0 with 28 knockouts. Suffice to say, he can’t wait to get back in there.

“I just have to get one fight in,” said Garcia, 28, of Oxnard. “This first fight with Elio will be somewhere between 135 (lightweight) and 140 pounds (junior welterweight), but I want to fight at 135 and win a title there. I want to win a title there and keep going after champion after champion. Now that all that (uncertainty) is behind me, I look forward to the next stage of my career. This next stage of my career will be what people remember me for.”

Garcia last fought on Jan. 25, 2014 when he defended his super featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Garcia and Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs) – a former featherweight champion from the Dominican Republic – will fight underneath the featherweight title fight between champion Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights and Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland.

Mikey Garcia, Lamont Peterson get Saturday night victories in N.Y. and D.C.

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Robert Morales

Rivals Top Rank Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions on Saturday once again went up against each other with nationally televised shows on the same night.

Over at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Mikey Garcia of Oxnard retained his super featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos of Mexico. Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs) won by scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109. Burgos is 30-2-2.

In the semi-main event, heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings (18-0, 10 KOs) of Philadelphia stopped Artur Szpilka (16-1) of Poland in the 10th round.

That Top Rank card was televised by HBO.

Over at DC Armory in Washington D.C., Lamont Peterson of Washington D.C. defended his super lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Dierry Jean of Canada. Peterson (32-2-1) won by scores of 115-13, 116-112 and 118-111. Jean is 25-1.

In the semi-main event, junior middleweight Jermell Charlo of Houston remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over tough Gabriel Rosado (21-8) of Philadelphia. Charlo (23-0) won by scores of 97-93, 99-91 and 100-90.

That Golden Boy Promotions card was televised by Showtime.

Mikey Garcia knocks out Rocky Martinez in the eighth round with body shot

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Robert Morales

Mikey Garcia of Oxnard has now won world titles in two weight classes, thanks to a wicked left hook to the body that knocked out Rocky Martinez of Puerto Rico in the main event at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The fight was televised by HBO.

Garcia, now 33-0 with 28 knockouts, was decked in the second round. But by the time the eighth arrived, he was in full control of the fight. When he nailed Martinez with the left hook, Martinez went down and stayed slumped over on his knees, never making an attempt to rise as he was counted out.

A terrific shot to the liver typically leaves the victim unable to move the lower half of his body for a short period of time.

Martinez (27-2-2) was attempting to make the second successful defense of his title, which now belongs to Garcia, who also has won a featherweight title.

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