Via Ken Hissner: Former Philadelphia WBC and WBA World Super Lightweight and WBC World Welterweight Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia will return to the ring on July 30 at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York, nineteen months after his last fight. he. His record is 36-3 with 21 kills.
Garcia dealt with one of his toughest adversaries called “anxiety” before his final bout lost to WBC and IBF World Welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence, 26-0 , December 5, 2020, at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, home state of Spence, who hails from Desoto, Texas. That night Spence won with scores of 116-112 and 117-111, respectively.
One day, while his father and coach Angel Garcia were driving him home to Pottstown, PA, in his truck, his son Danny started crying and asked, “Danny, what’s wrong? Speak to me. Tell me how you feel. He couldn’t tell me,” said Angel Garcia. “He would say, ‘Dad, I don’t know what’s going on.’ He’s a tough guy, so when he cries, it really hits me. Oh crap, this is serious. This is the truth. He felt dark, like a dark cloud hovering over him. I knew right there that he was suffering from anxiety. It’s like everything is closing in on you.”
The pandemic was still raging, and Garcia’s training camp in Philadelphia was held under strict COVID-19 protocols, which the boxer said only made him feel more alone.
“It was just a difficult time in the world,” Garcia said. “A strange atmosphere. It was like a dream.” His father didn’t know what to do. If he told anyone that Angel Garcia knew of his son’s December 2020 shot to reclaim the welterweight title against Errol Spence, Jr. will be kicked off the field.
Angel Garcia says he’s not making excuses, but his son wasn’t himself that night. “He wasn’t there,” Angel Garcia said. “I think he will make it through. People think these guys are athletes so it can’t be. They are suffering. They are human. They think they are superhumans, but in the end they are still human. I’m so glad it all happened. I told him not to be ashamed of it. Tell the truth. OK.”
Garcia returned home exhausted. It was the 39th fight of his professional career – a journey that has led the sport since his stunning knockout 10 years ago Amir Kahn, 26-2, July 14, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, won the WBC belt and WBA World Super Lightweight title bringing his record to 24-0. He has made four successful title defenses against top talents like Erik Morales, 52-8, Zab Judah, 42-7, Lucas Martin Mattysse, 34-2 and Mauricio Herrera, 20-3.
After winning three non-title fights, Garcia won the vacant WBC World Welterweight belt by defeating Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, 33-3-1, on January 23, 2016, at Staples Center, Los Angeles, SHIFT. It took more than a year before defending his title, losing to WBA world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman, 27-0, March 17, 2017, at the Barclay Center, in Brooklyn, NY. Since then, he’s gone 3-2, losing to former champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter, 28-2-1, in 2018 and Spence in his final game.
On July 30, Garcia had a tough opponent that night at Jose “Merciless” Benavidez, Jr., 27-1-1 (18), of Phoenix, AZ. His only loss was to WBO Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, 33-0, halted in his 12th and final match in the second round. In his last game, he fought to draw with Francisco Torres, 17-3, in November 2021.
Garcia remained in shape during his layoff, but he didn’t have a fight to prepare for. He is not seeking therapy. He said he just needed time away from the ring to feel refreshed. He works out at his Philadelphia Gym in the city’s Juniata neighborhood.
“Now I walk in here and feel happy and joyful. I feel like the old me,” says Garcia. “I feel good. I feel elated. I feel motivated. I feel happy. That’s how I know it’s going to be a good night for me. And I’m ready for anything. In this game you can get comfortable on the night of the fight and then have one of the hardest battles of your life. I’m prepared to dig deep if I have to.”
