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Lem’s latest: Garcia targets ‘showcase night’ versus Matthysse

Fighters Network
14
Aug
 
When WBA and WBC beltholder Danny Garcia enters the ring against Lucas Matthysse on Sept. 14, he brings THE RING junior welterweight championship and an unbeaten record with him. Angel Garcia, the father and trainer of the 25-year-old Philadephia resident, believes that the boxing world has all but forgotten that.

“Danny’s the champ, Matthysse is a bum, and Danny’s going to prove it,” said Angel Garcia, who has said that Matthysse will represent “the easiest fight of Danny’s career,” adding that the younger Garcia will “destroy” the Argentine in “four or five rounds.”

“Danny’s isn’t the one stepping up to Matthysse, Matthysse is stepping up to fight Danny. Wait and see, Danny is going to chop this bum up. You see it’s the same old thing with Danny, no one giving us any credit. Danny is THE RING champion, and Matthysse is the one on the cover of the magazine. That’s the kind of stuff that I’m talking about. It’s why I say we never get the respect we deserve.”

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During his last fight in April, Garcia (26-0, 16 knockouts) scored an eighth-round knockdown on the way to a unanimous decision over ex-beltholder Zab Judah, whom Matthysse dropped in the 10th round of a 12-round split-decision loss in November of 2010.



Judah represented the sixth straight current or former titleholder that Garcia has faced during a run that includes fourth-round knockouts of Erik Morales and Amir Khan.

Matthysse (34-2, 32 KOs) has a 4-2 record, with four knockouts against six current or former titleholders, having floored all of them.

Angel Garcia was not on Wednesday’s national media conference call promoting Garcia-Matthysse, which will take place on the Showtime Pay Per View undercard of the Sept. 14 main event featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Although Danny Garcia was mostly calm while addressing questions about whether or not he is favored to defeat Matthysse, he appeared to simmer when he said Sept. 14  “is gonna be another epic showcase by me that

night,” later adding, Matthysse has “power, I got power,” but “if he’s not careful, he’s gonna get hurt.”

“I really don’t care what the media thinks, or who they think is the best, because, in my heart, I know that I’m the best and I hold the titles. On Sept. 14, it’s going to be just another day at work for me,” said Danny Garcia.

“I’ll defend my titles and I’ll still be champion. The people who don’t believe, that’s their problem. I know in my heart that I’m the best 140-pound fighter in the world and I’m going to show that on Sept. 14.”

The Garcias, father and son, were ringside in May when Matthysse scored three knockdowns during a third-round stoppage of IBF 140-pound beltholder Lamont Peterson for his sixth straight knockout victory in a non-title bout.

Against Matthysse, Peterson succumbed to the second of three total knockdowns as the fighters traded left hooks — one of Danny Garcia’s best punches.

Would things go differently if Garcia and Matthysse swapped left hooks?

“We’ll have to see. I fought big punchers. I’ve taken big shots before,” said Garcia, who overcame hammer-fisted Kendall Holt by split-decision in October of 2011.

“But Peterson, when he threw that left hook, he was more out of position and that’s why he got the end of it. But I’m going to be smart, and I’m going to do what I do best and make adjustments in the fight and get the victory.”

CAN MATTHYSSE DO TO GARCIA WHAT HE DID TO PETERSON?

During an earlier interview with RingTV.com, Matthysse said Angel Garcia “is going have to come into the ring and get Danny Garcia out of the ring (after I) knock him out.” matthysse vs peterson_9

But during Wednesday’s call, Matthysse appeared to softened his stance when asked if he could dispatch of  Garcia as easily as he did Peterson. 

“Going into the Lamont Peterson, it was difficult in the beginning, but then, it became easy for me and that’s why I knocked him out. With Danny Garcia, I have to prepare myself, but I’m going to do my best and just give a great fight,” said Matthysse.

“I respect Danny Garcia as a champion. He’s going to give me a lot of resistance. But I feel that I’m confident enough to give a great fight. It is going to be a difficult fight, but I’m not looking for a knockout. I think that I’ll have a great victory and it will be a great fight.”

GARCIA-MATTHYSSE PRESS TOUR

A three-city press tour for Garcia-Matthysse will encompass two days with stops in New York and Philadelphia on Aug. 22, followed by one in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, according to publicist Kelly Swanson, who was on the call.

ISHE SMITH-CARLOS MOLINA: A CROSSROADS FIGHT FOR TOUGH-LUCK WARRIORS

Junior middleweight contender Carlos Molina (21-5-2, 6 KOs) will challenge IBF beltholder Ishe Smith (25-5, 11 KOs) on the Mayweather-Alvarez undercard in a battle of veterans who have endured difficult careers comprised of tough, often disputed losses. 

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A 34-year-old Las Vegas resident, Smith is coming off his title-winning majority decision over Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage in February, and has endured setbacks that include a disputed 10-round unanimous decision to Fernando Guerrero, whom he dropped in the eighth round in July of 2010..

A 30-year-old Mexico-born Chicago resident, Molina has won two straight since falling by controversial 10th-round disqualification loss to James Kirkland in March of last year, having rebounded with decisions over Damian Frias and Cory Spinks in August and February, respectively.

Molina has endured a draw as well as a six-round majority decision loss against current WBC middleweight beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in December of 2005 and 2006, respectively, and took an unbeaten streak of 11-0-1 with just two stoppages into the fight with Kirkland.

Molina’s run includes a victory over former welterweight beltholder Kermit Cintron in July of last year and a draw with then-unbeaten Erislandy Lara in March of last year. Molina’s last loss prior to Kirkland was by eight-round majority decision against junior welterweight beltholder Mike Alvarado.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions, whose CEO is Leonard Ellerbe, Smith said he told Ellerbe that Molina was the first man he wanted to face in defense of his belt.

“Whenever you’re a world champion, you know that you have a lot of people gunning for you, and they’re coming to take what you’ve earned and what you’ve fought hard to accomplish, and I don’t want to fall victim to looking past Carlos Molina. He’s a tough, tough competitor, and I’ve trained really hard so that I don’t have any hiccups and I don’t have any trip-ups for this fight,” said Smith.

“We’re in tremendous shape, and I’m ready to go…I’ve faced all kinds of styles. They said that K-9 was going to be too big and strong for me, and he was awkward. But you don’t worry about styles. Skills pay the bills, and come Sept. 14, I’ll be ready to go and I’ll be keeping my title here at home. So I don’t worry about how he’s going to fight, I just have to listen to my coach, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.”

Molina had similar praise for Smith.

“Ishe is a pretty well-rounded fighter, and I feel that the harder I train, I can make the fight easier for me. But I feel like this is going to bring out the best in me,”‘ said Molina.

“This is a championship fight, and even though I train for every fight like I’m training for a championship fight, this is it, right here. This is what I’ve visualized since I first started boxing. It’s right in front of me, and I’m so focused and ready. I’m ready to go. I wish that the fight was closer.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE MEETS PABLO CESAR CANO, EYES REMATCH WITH GARCIA

The opening bout of the Mayweather-Alvarez card features welterweights Ashley Theophane (33-5-1, 10 KOs) of England and Mexico’s Pablo Cesar Cano (26-3-1, 20 KOs), who are 32, and, 23, respectively.

A recent signee with Mayweather Promotions, Theophane has won two straight since falling by unanimous decision to Darren Hamilton in May of last year, part of a record that includes a loss by split decision to Garcia in February of 2010, and a majority decision victory over Delvin Rodriguez from July of 2010.

“A lot of people thought that I beat [Garcia] the first time around, and, to me, it was a close fight and they gave it to him. That happens in boxing. I thought that I won the first time, so the fight could happen again down the road,” said Theophane.

“I’ve watched him fight and I’m glad that he’s a world champion but I don’t think that he has improved much since 

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I’ve watched him. He beat Amir Khan and he beat Erik Morales. But other than that, I haven’t seen much improvement.”

Cano (26-3-1, 20 KOs) always comes to fight, but has lost his past two welterweight contests by narrow decisions to Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley, with his other loss being a 10th-round stoppage against Morales in a bloody bout for the WBC’s vacant 140-pound title in 2011.

Is there any danger of Cano slipping into “opponent” status following a setback to Theophane?

“I have been in three close fight with three great champions with great names, and I’ve gained a lot of experience,” said Cano. “With that experience, I’ll take that into this fight with a new plan. I’m just going to fight. I just believe that I’m going to give a great fight.”

DANNY JACOBS’ ‘GET IN THE RING FOUNDATION’ TARGETS CHILDHOOD CANCER, OBESITY, BULLYING

Brooklyn middleweight contender Danny Jacobs, who has survived a bone cancer-related paralysis, will be holding the first major event for his Get in the Ring Foundation on Friday at the Starrett City Boxing Club in his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y., the once-beaten fighter announced on Wednesday.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be attended by unbeaten super middleweight Anthony Dirrell, another cancer survivor from Flint Michigan.The goal is to raise funds and awareness for the organization’s three key causes – childhood cancer, obesity and bullying.

Tickets cost $20, with children being admitted free to Jacobs’ event, which will feature educational elements concerning each of the causes, as well as a raffle and photo and autograph opportunities with the boxers in attendance.

Jacobs’ organization has run a lemonade stand in honor of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

On the Aug. 19 debut of Golden Boy Live!, which will air twice a month on Fox Sports 1 and be promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Jacobs will face Giovanni Lorenzo at the Best Buy Theater in midtown Manhattan.

The card will also feature welterweight Eddie Gomez against Steve Upsher Chambers, as well as 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne against an opponent to be determined.

Also expected to make appearances ringside at the event are Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya, Danny Garcia, former 147-pound beltholder Luis Collazo and once-beaten lightweight Michael “The Artist” Perez.

THOMAS DULORME LOOKS TO REBOUND AGAINST FRANCISO FIGUEROA ON SATURDAY

Puerto Rican junior welterweight prospect Thomas Dulorme (18-1, 13 KOs) will pursue his third-straight victory and his second stoppage during that run against Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa (20-5-1, 13 KO’s), from The Bronx, New York, at he Revel Resort in Atlantic City.

Dulorme, whose bout will be televised on HBO Latino, suffered his lone defeat in October of last year as a welterweight, when he fell by seventh-round stoppage to slugger Luis Carlos Abregu.

“I’m just excited to get back into the ring, staying busy keeps me focused and motivated. My head is never clearer than when I am preparing for a fight. It takes a toll on most fighters, but I’m centered and very relaxed. I owe the fight game a lot, and I am doing this for my fans, the people who believe in me. I want to show my supporters that their belief in me is based on actual ability,” said Dulorme.

“When I am on top, I will share that moment with those who stuck by me, especially my promoters Gary Shaw, Javier Bustillo and Lou DiBella. If you’re not in the sport to become champion then what’s the point? I have every intention on winning a title one day and I know that it is a real goal, one that I have control of accomplishing.  I have a strong support group and plenty of people in my corner that believe in me, but from this point on I must make believers out of everyone else. Come fight night, I will make believers out of anyone who may still have doubts.”

In the main event, Australian IBF middleweight titleholder Daniel Geale (29-1, 15 KOs) will defend his belt in his United States debut against England’s Darren Barker (25-1, 16KOs) on HBO’s Boxing After Dark from the Revel Resort.

Also on the card is a co-feature to be shown on HBO as Colombia’s Jhonathan Romero (23-0, 12 KOs) defends his IBF junior featherweight belt against Spain’s Kiko Martinez (28-4, 20 KOs).

In addition, as part of a split-site triple-header to be televised by HBO,  WBO light heavyweight titleholder Nathan Cleverly (26-0, 12 KOs) will defend against hard-hitting Sergey Kovalev (21-0-1, 19 KOs) from the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Walese. Kovalev is 9-0-1, with nine knockouts in his past 10 fights.

ARTURO GATTI-MICKY WARD DOCUMENTARY ON HBO

Although it is as yet untitled, HBO will air an Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward Legendary Nights trilogy documentary on Oct. 19 in advance of the WBO junior welterweight title fight between “Mile High” Mike Alvarado  (34-1, 23 KOs) and Russian fighter Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) that is being promoted by Top Rank from the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo., a suburb of Denver, near Alvardo’s hometown of Thornton.

 

 

Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]

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