Danny Garcia Wants Revenge On Errol Spence And Keith Thurman Before Retiring
Former two-weight world champion Danny Garcia says he wants to get revenge on Errol Spence Jr. and Keith Thurman before he retires from boxing.
Garcia (37-3-0 21 KO) has not fought since claiming a majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr. in July 2022. In the fight before that, he suffered his third career defeat to Spence in December 2020, so the American has been very inactive over the past four years.
The Philadelphia native’s first defeat came against Thurman in March 2017 in a unification welterweight world title fight, ending a run of 33 straight wins.
Given Garcia’s lack of fights in recent years, it was assumed that he had quietly retired, but the 36-year-old is plotting his return to the ring and has revenge on his mind, although he won’t be able to correct his other loss as Shawn Porter has long hung up his gloves.
Garcia ‘Would Love To Fight Spence’ In Rematch
“I would love to fight Errol Spence for a rematch, I would love to avenge at least one of my losses before this is all said and done,” Garcia told Fight Hub TV. “If I can get a rematch with one of those guys and come back and fight another fight, that would be crazy.”
Garcia won his first world title in March 2012 when he defeated Erik Morales to capture the vacant WBC super-lightweight title. He then became unified champion at 147lbs in his first title defense, upsetting the odds to knock out WBA champion Amir Khan inside four rounds.
‘Swift’ made four successful defenses of the belts, including a fourth-round knockout of Morales in a rematch, before making the step up to welterweight. He became a two-weight world champion in January 2016 by outpointing Robert Guerrero to land the vacant WBC title.
However, his first defense ended in defeat to Thurman in a close points decision in March 2017, and he’s not held a world title since; Garcia was beaten on points by Porter in September 2018 when competing for the vacant WBC title and again in December 2020 when challenging Spence for his IBF and WBC belts.
‘It’s A Timing Thing’
Garcia revealed that his walking weight is currently around 168lbs, but he will be aiming to get back in on the action at welterweight. The American also said he has been in contact with PBC chief Al Haymon regarding his return and it’s now all about timing after a prolonged spell out of the ring, during which he welcomed a third child.
“I want to fight, but right now it’s a timing thing,” he said. “I’m not getting younger, but I’m also not damaging my body. When I fought Benavidez in 2022, my mindset was, ‘I’m gonna fight in 2023 and fight in 2024 and let me see what I wanna do.’ Right now, I have to get a fight and build it into that. I want to fight and then do a big fight.”
The immediate problem Garcia faces is that PBC doesn’t have a long-term schedule planned out, leaving him unsure of when his return will happen.
“I’m a PBC fighter, and right now they don’t have a schedule,” he said. “They’re basically doing just a fight at a time, that’s what it looks like. So I don’t think there’s no date after the Gervonta Davis [June 15] fight, so right now it’s about timing.”
