Philly's Danny Garcia May Be Next For Mayweather
By Joseph Santoliquito
Las Vegas, NV (CBS) — It's a perfunctory boxing ritual that can't be helped. Danny Garcia's victory over Lucas Matthysse was barely an hour old when talk of his next opponent was broached.
Angel Garcia, Danny's father and trainer, already stated that the Matthysse fight was Danny's last at 140 pounds, since he's pretty much cleaned out the division. The name immediately blurted out was Floyd Mayweather, who dominated almost every second of every round of his victory over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez as the main feature of "The One," at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old Garcia, (27-0 with 16 KOs), the WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine junior welterweight world champion, in the 11th round knocked down Matthysse, 30, (34-3, 32 KOs), for the first time in his career.
Here's a major reason why the fight could happen: Both Garcia and Mayweather fight under Golden Boy Promotions. To be specific, Mayweather does fight under his own promotional banner, he still works in conjunction with Golden Boy.
Mayweather beat Alvarez in a junior middleweight bout, which came at a catchweight of 152 pounds. Mayweather is actually a welterweight, which is 147 pounds. Garcia has found it more difficult as he's getting older to make 140.
Mayweather-Garcia holds some cache. Garcia has a great amateur background and is undefeated as a pro, as does Mayweather, (45-0, 26 KOs).
The money would certainly be there, too. Garcia made a career-high $1.5 million Saturday night, while Alvarez garnered $5 million for fighting Mayweather. Expect Garcia to make as much as $5 million if he fought Mayweather.
But Mayweather faces a large problem: He's boxing's pound-for-pound best and so much better than everyone at 140 through 154 pounds that any opponent he faces would be a grave mismatch. Asking fans to see Mayweather do what he did Saturday night, basically chew up an inferior opponent, may have some selling issues.
In fact, the only possible high-selling fight for Mayweather next May 2014 would be against middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez, an undersized 160-pounder who may come closest to matching Mayweather's speed and quickness.
Mayweather is a fan of boxing history and he has four fights remaining on his record-breaking Showtime contract, planning to fight in May and September 2014, and May and September 2015, which by then he'll be 38. Winning the middleweight title would be a powerful lure. He'd have a lineal connection with Sugar Ray Robinson.
Martinez was injured in his last fight and is mending. He would be healthy and ready by May 2014, and if you're thinking Martinez may be too large for Mayweather, consider this: Alvarez blew up to 165 pounds on fight night against Mayweather, the size of a super middleweight.
Another name broached in the Mayweather sweepstakes is a possible Amir Khan fight. But it's also a fight that makes no sense. Khan is scheduled to fight IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander on December 7 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Khan was pounded out in four rounds by Garcia in July 2012.
Middleweight slugger Gennady Golovkin is another Mayweather possibility. But Golovkin does not have the speed to stay with Mayweather, and there is a possibility that matchup could be the same lopsided repeat of what Mayweather did to Alvarez.
Finally, any thought of Mayweather fighting Manny Pacquiao, a fight that is at least three years past its sell-by date, is remote. Pacquiao, at this stage of his career, is breaking down. At one time, "Pac-Man" was the only fighter who could come close to matching Mayweather's speed. Now, Pacquiao is a shell of what he used to be in 2008, when he was at the height of his powers after devouring Oscar De La Hoya.
Today, Mayweather would easily stop the shopworn Pacquiao. It's a fight that has come and gone, with Mayweather the victor, while never having to risk his undefeated record nor having to lay a glove on Pacquiao.
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributing sports blogger for CBS Philly.
