Mikey Garcia - How far can he go?

You dont really hear much about Mikey on here and its a bit of a sin to me.

He seems to have it all, good technical ability, speed, a good boxing brain and some serious power to boot.

He has walked through Salido and Lopez in his last two fights (although not making weight hurt the Lopez win a bit).

But he is up next against former Ricky Burns victim Roman Martinez.

This should be another win for Garcia as although Martinez is game. He is as one dimensional as they come (although that one dimension is pretty good).

But after this he is a world champ at Super Feather which isnt exactly blossoming with talent at the moment. so that just leave him to toddle on to Lightweight where we have Burns, Broner supposedly if he decides to drop down again after losing the gut, Abril, Linares Gamboa (i think) etc etc.

Plenty of choices to go for, but will he make an impact? Me thinks yes. Currently one of the most under-rated fighters out there who isn't really being talked about much.

He is a pretty big guy at his weight currently and will probably make it to the Light Welter regions in a year or two.

I am looking forward to seeing his rise and hope to see him in fights against the big names and think he could well be the next big thing out there.

Also a pretty down to earth guy going by his interviews and really has a great knowledge of the sport in general.

Thoughts?

One of my favourite fighters, even had him at about #10 p4p at one point when I did a list recently. Got it all, in my eyes, absolutely superb.

Had this argument with 6oldenbhoy, I think, pointed out that I'd back him to clean out Burns at LW (this was before Ricky got a beating the other night) which would make him a world champ at 3 weights.

Him vs Broner could be the next super-fight (in a few years time, obvs) and him versus Gamboa (if Yuri could come back down to LW) would be sensational.

I think Mikey Garcia is a great fighter, expect big things from him.

One of my favourite fighters too, I sense Mikey against Russell Jr is a mini megafight just waiting to ignite and one of the most interesting technical matches in the whole of boxing.  That's if Russell, who fractured his hand earlier this year, can take that step up. I'd like to see Russell Gamboa to get Mikey, if that were possible. Russell admitted that he has skills that he hasn't even gotten a chance to display yet.

"I haven't been pushed to the point where I've had to take it into second or third gear. I haven't had to push through adversity.'

Aye, Herman, both guys have bags of talent. Garcia is terrific, his timing and jab is superb, shot selection excellent. Born in a boxing gym pretty much, been fighting his entire life and just has every fundamental you can possibly have. His power is also very big point, most guys that have such great boxing technique don't have crushing power, Garcia seems to have both in abdundance. Whether he has it the higher the weights he moves up is yet to be seen I guess.

Think he has the perfect style for Gamboa, who is so unorthodox that he could easily be unstuck by a guy that literally does every single thing correctly.

Russell I reckon is with GBP although can't remember 100% so that fight may never happen as Garcia is with TR. =/

That's a real shame to think those two may never fight, Alex. The next best would be Mikey against Gamboa, I guess. I know that's a fight Mikey has always coveted, and said he'd do featherweight to make it happen. I don't know much about super feather other than what people have said- that it's not the hottest division at the minute. I guess if Mikey went to lightweight in pursuit of big fights, he could find Broner, if that's where the latter should ever move back to. Anyway, take a look and see what you think:-


Super Featherweight Division Rankings | ProBoxing-Fans.com


Super Featherweight - 130 lbs. - Top 100 IBO Rankings - International Boxing Organization

Agree Dee, he is a very good talent. Power, precision, timing, patience. Hard not to like him and he may clean out his division, if he can get the right fights

Herman Jaggery wrote:One of my favourite fighters too, I sense Mikey against Russell Jr is a mini megafight just waiting to ignite and one of the most interesting technical matches in the whole of boxing.  That's if Russell, who fractured his hand earlier this year, can take that step up. I'd like to see Russell Gamboa to get Mikey, if that were possible. Russell admitted that he has skills that he hasn't even gotten a chance to display yet.

"I haven't been pushed to the point where I've had to take it into second or third gear. I haven't had to push through adversity.'

What a load of rubbish (no offence). Russell Jr coming up with pony excuses as to why he's had 20+ fights and hasn't moved past domestic level yet. Yes he has some flashy looking skills, but he's otherwise a miniature version of Wilder.

No offence taken mate, I think an ankle injury restricted Russell to just two fights in 2012, and then the hand fracture earlier this year. So maybe you can give him the benefit of the doubt for now. If everything is healed up, you'd expect the step up has to come pretty soon.


I'm not going to make any prediction again about a fighter whom I've never seen in action, like others, I just want to see if the Russell hype is justified.


Some critics have cited a lack of head and foot movement, but he works with his trainer father on something his father calls 'moving without moving.' Russell will stand in the pocket in such a way that when his opponent throws a punch, he's easily able to slip it but he remains close enough to throw his own counter with his feet planted. In other words, he's elusive as Az would say, in the proper sense.


With possibly the fastest hands in the sport according to some, he's accurate and possesses an excellent jab and knockout powere in either hand. In addition, he has veteran-like ring smarts, so while it's easy to get mesmerized by Russell's physical abilities, his greatest weapon may be his composure and ring intelligence.


Manny Steward before his very sad death, predicted Russell would be a threat to any featherweight champion before too long. Russell himself, describes Adrian Broner as 'basically one dimensional. A lot of kinks in his armour...he's not fundamentally sound. I feel these are places I can take advantage of.'


The question now is whether Russell's ability can take him to the highest levels of the sport.

Herman Jaggery wrote:No offence taken mate, I think an ankle injury restricted Russell to just two fights in 2012, and then the hand fracture earlier this year. So maybe you can give him the benefit of the doubt for now. If everything is healed up, you'd expect the step up has to come pretty soon.

The problem with that is until his injury he had had 19 fights still, amassing only 11kos, and all fights were against nobodies and he'd never gone beyond domestic level.

Compare that with a British prospect of the same age, George Groves, who in 19 fights amassed 15 kos and in his 20th has lined up a world title shot.

Wouldn't really say its a massive deal and he's more of a boxer than a banger, but he still has a good punch on him so his KO perfentage isn't that much of a big deal. He's moved at a slightly slow pace but he'll get up to world level soon so not really a big problem.

I'm not that bothered about him not being a banger (though plenty of boxers have struggled at the highest level in the past as they lack the pop to keep the best pressure fighters off them [Khan, Burns]) but the pace of his career isn't slow - it's GLACIAL!!

The calibre of his first 20 opponents are what his first 10 should have been. Not a fan of rushing people, but fights 12-15 should be national title level then something equiv to commonwealth/Euro. World title should be the 25 fight target. At the current rate he's going Kell Brook will have fought for a world title quicker!!

TopHat24/7 wrote:I'm not that bothered about him not being a banger (though plenty of boxers have struggled at the highest level in the past as they lack the pop to keep the best pressure fighters off them [Khan, Burns]) but the pace of his career isn't slow - it's GLACIAL!!

The calibre of his first 20 opponents are what his first 10 should have been. Not a fan of rushing people, but fights 12-15 should be national title level then something equiv to commonwealth/Euro.  World title should be the 25 fight target. At the current rate he's going Kell Brook will have fought for a world title quicker!!

Why? Old timers fought 100 drunken louts before they stepped up. And they get credit for it.

Let the kid develop at the right pace.

azania wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:I'm not that bothered about him not being a banger (though plenty of boxers have struggled at the highest level in the past as they lack the pop to keep the best pressure fighters off them [Khan, Burns]) but the pace of his career isn't slow - it's GLACIAL!!

The calibre of his first 20 opponents are what his first 10 should have been. Not a fan of rushing people, but fights 12-15 should be national title level then something equiv to commonwealth/Euro.  World title should be the 25 fight target. At the current rate he's going Kell Brook will have fought for a world title quicker!!

Why? Old timers fought 100 drunken louts before they stepped up. And they get credit for it.

Let the kid develop at the right pace.

And you slate them for it.

Double standards again.

This isn't the 'old time' this is now and for now he is moving way to slowly. You can't defend this as 'the right pace' unless you apply the same logic to Wilder, and you'd still be wrong.

No, I slate people who use that to give them more credit than they deserve.

He is moving at the pace his team deem to be fine. They see him train daily and know more than some bod on a forum. Ditto Wilder. Why do a Price on him?

More classic flip-flop.

Will remember this for next time you say the complete opposite and slate someone for fighting bums.

TopHat24/7 wrote:More classic flip-flop.

Will remember this for next time you say the complete opposite and slate someone for fighting bums.

No flip flop from me mate. I said the same thing about Price. ie don't put him in against someone who can who back yet as he hasn't developed is skills enough yet. I guess I was right.

Flip flop.

Will bookmark this thread for future reference.

Please do