Mikey Garcia looking to cement his legacy against Errol Spence Jr

Mikey Garcia has won titles in four weight classes, and next Saturday he goes for a fifth, facing IBF welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr in the FOX pay-per-view main event from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Garcia (39-0, 30 KO) has fought a few times at 140 pounds, including a win over Adrien Broner and a world title win over Sergey Lipinets, but the move to 147 is seen as particularly dangerous for him, especially because he’s not just facing some tune-up opponent, or even some average contender type. He’s taking on an unbeaten, powerful, very skilled young fighter in Spence (24-0, 21 KO), who has his supporters in his case for being the world’s best welterweight at the moment.

Garcia sat down with Kate Abdo, Keith Thurman, and Abner Mares on Inside PBC Boxing to discuss the fight, and here’s what he had to say:

“I’m happy, I’m excited. We’re now just a few days away from the fight. It’s what I wanted.”

“It’s been a little different, a little more (promotional) work than the usual. Even training camp was a little more strenuous than the usual. But we learned to adapt, we learned to adjust. We’ve been doing this for a long time now, and I’ve seen it with other fighters, the kind of work that it takes. I just deal with it, I do it. I’m just excited to be here right now.”

“Everybody asks me the question, ‘Do I see any holes in his game?’ It’s not even about that. I see him very similar to the way I fight. Does everything well, good footwork, good timing, picks his punches right — very similar. But it’s more of what I know I’m capable of doing that people still haven’t seen. That’s what I’m here to show, that I’m a lot more than you’ve ever seen.”

“I believe I’m better than he is in every category, when it comes to the footwork, the timing, the defense. Power, we’re still yet to find out. Let’s find out on Saturday night. We’ll find out if his power is greater than what I expect, or if my power is greater than what he expects. That’s something to still be determined.”

“There’s a lot at stake. I’m trying to accomplish a big task, overcoming the size, jumping weight classes like I have been. Those are big challenges. My training had to change. But if I can accomplish this, I think I will be forever remembered for this reason. Some of the greatest to ever do it have taken on big tasks, big challenges, and that’s the kind of task that I’m taking right now. Winning this fight will forever cement my name as a fighter who was willing to do this. In the moment, there’s no one else really doing this. I’m willing to do all that it takes to win this fight.”