Fight Night in Bayamon: Why the Sport Desperately Needs Danny
Tonight, Danny Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs), the WBA and WBC Junior Welterweight champ, takes on Mauricio Herrera (20-3, 7 KOs) in Bayamon’s Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez. The telecast starts at 9 pm. In what may be his last stint at 140 pounds, Garcia unveiled a muscular physique as he weighed in at 139 3/4 pounds. Although he insists otherwise, this fight is supposed to be the appetizer for bigger paydays.
By Christian Giudice
christiangiudice@hotmail.com
Sometimes going home makes everything better. Tonight, when Danny Garcia fights Mauricio Herrera, he will consider it a homecoming of a different sort. It’s the type of homecoming that every great fighter would love to make. Garcia is heading back to Bayamon, Puerto Rico – back to where his parents grew up. The move itself is admirable, and necessary for Garcia to tap into a fan base that accepts, but has yet to fully embrace him. Deep down, boxing needs someone to emerge from the shadows. Who’s willing to stand up and lead the next boxing charge? Floyd Mayweather can fill seats, but he’ll never represent the sport; Manny has become accustomed to the role as a lower-profile type elder statesman; and although Canelo Alvarez is still a shining star in the sport, he still needs to win a mega-fight to earn his stature. The sport needs someone to root for. That leaves Danny Garcia, the Philadelphia champ who says and does all the right things.
Right now boxing has diverse personalities, but fans have a difficult time identifying with them. Garcia has so many things in his favor. First, he has beaten another great fighter in a great performance. When Garcia beat Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse last September, his performance erased any previous doubts about his skills. The victory showcased his unique blend of strength and intelligence as he withstood Matthysse’s late-fight surge to earn a 12-round unanimous decision. At the time, Matthysse had garnered a reputation as unbeatable, a man whose power reminded some of the Tony Ayalas and Edwin Rosarios of the past. Matthysse’s body punching separated him from every other boxer. And then came Danny. Few fighters could exhibit such resilience in the face of the hard-charging Argentinian. It’s rare for a fight, which ironically was worthy of a pay per view, to live up to its billing on the undercard of Canelo-Mayweather, but Matthysse vs. Garcia did just that. The fight didn’t put Garcia on the so-called map, but it confirmed his status as one of the best fighters in the world.
Critics may argue that, unlike other professional sports, boxing doesn’t need one athlete to take the reins. In fact, many would claim that there are too many good young fighters to begin thinking about one individual to represent the sport. However, when Pacquiao was viewed as the face of the sport for so long, people outside the boxing realm wanted in. He made public appearances, showed up on talk shows, and fought for his people. In addition, he boxed with a flair and aggression that only enhanced his personality. Would promoting Garcia as an ambassador solve all of boxing’s problems? Probably not. In fact, until an oversight committee is created to oversee the sport, and long standing feuds between the powers-that-be get resolved, the sport will never thrive as its supposed to. Those facts will never change; however, those issues don’t negate the fact that the sport needs a new protagonist. Young fighters and even the casual fan need someone to look up to – a fighter with the qualifications to lead by example and step in as the new face of the sport. Garcia has the temperament, the workmanlike style, and the success in the ring to be that guy.
With all of the attention focused on Mayweather and his provocations, the sport has stagnated – and I don’t mean financially. The boxing world desperately needs someone to stand up and “act” like a champion. Let’s start with this fight. Garcia made this fight because he wanted to go back to Puerto Rico. He could have easily settled for a Vegas site, but fighting in Bayamon meant something. To Garcia, returning to Puerto Rico is his way of embracing his heritage, as he comfortably exists between these two worlds. Even though his father and trainer, Angel Garcia, often speaks for his son (sometimes too frankly), Danny doesn’t let his father’s rude manner affect his performance. What’s more enticing then a hard-working honest fighter from the streets of Philly to represent the sport?
Lastly, fans need to be able to attach themselves to a fighter that shows character, dedication, and respect to the sport. What’s even more enticing about rooting for Garcia is that there is a distinct possibility that he will end up fighting Mayweather down the road. Sure, he was overlooked by Mayweather for the next fight, but that might just work in his favor. Now, he can get 1-2 bouts of good work before the showdown. That matchup will bring the Puerto Rican fan base out the same way the Mexican fan base follows Canelo’s every move. Garcia, who is quiet and rarely brings attention to himself, doesn’t have the same likability that countrymen Felix Trinidad had, and doesn’t exude the same charisma as some past Puerto Rican champs like the late Camacho, but he’s got so much to offer. A victory tonight may not do much to his reputation, but what he does in the next 2-3 fights will put him in position to take on the mantle as the face boxing’s fans will look to when the others fall by the wayside.