Mikey Garcia has big plans to prove he’s not just one of the best boxers of his era, but one of the best of all time. He takes a huge step toward that goal Saturday night when he faces Robert Easter Jr. in a lightweight unification bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Showtime will televise the main event as part of a triple-header that also includes Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz of Cuba against Razvan Cojanu of Romania in a 10-round heavyweight bout, and unbeaten Mario Barrios of San Antonio taking on Jose Roman of Garden Grove, Calif., in a battle of lightweights.
Garcia, 38-0 with 30 knockouts, will defend the WBC lightweight championship, one of four different divisions in which the native of Oxnard, Calif., has won a world title during his career. Easter (21-0, 14 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, has been the IBF lightweight champ since 2016.
“Me and Robert Easter Jr. are the only unbeaten champions in the division,” Garcia said. “So in my eyes the winner is the best fighter in the division. It means a lot to face another unbeaten champion. It will help my legacy and my career. I’m taking the proper steps to move forward and cement my name for the ages.”
It’s also a big opportunity for Easter, who is looking for a better showing than his last outing, when he narrowly escaped with a split-decision victory over Javier Fortuna last January at Barclays Center.
“This can bring big attention to my career,” Easter said. “It can help me get the recognition that I deserve. I look at all my fights like a big fight, but obviously this is a unification. You will see two warriors in there on Saturday.”
Easter, 27, is 5-foot-11 with a 76-inch reach. He fights tall and long, making it difficult for an opponent to get close. Garcia, 30, is 5-7 with a 68-inch reach.
“Easter is a tall guy and I’m sure will try to use his reach and fight from the outside,” said Garcia’s trainer and older brother, Robert Garcia. “But we’ll be ready for whatever he brings. We’re ready for the best Robert Easter possible. We’ve done what we had to do to get ready for this fight and the best version of our opponent.”
Garcia won the IBF light welterweight title last March, and there’s already talk of him moving up to the talent-rich welterweight division and taking on the likes of Terrance Crawford and Errol Spence.
“I’m here to take the biggest fights and biggest challenges,” Garcia said. “I will be at welterweight very soon, and I look forward to taking on the best there.”
Spence is willing to take on all comers, but is a fan of Easter and gives him a good chance to win.
“He’s focused and he’s hungry,” Spence said of Easter. “He hasn’t looked good his last two fights since he won the title. But he realizes he’s been making mistakes and hasn’t taken training seriously. He realizes what he’s done wrong and he’s trying to figure it out. He knows this is a big fight, a legacy fight, and could turn him into a mega-star by beating Garcia.”
Meanwhile, Ortiz looks to rebound after losing a WBC heavyweight championship bout against Deontay Wilder last March at Barclays Center. Ortiz (28-1, 24 KOs) was stopped in the 10th round. He faces the 6-8 Cojanu (16-3, 9 KOs), who is coming off a loss to then-WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker last May.
“My hunger and motivation to become world champion has not changed at all,” Ortiz said.
“My opponent is very big. But in the ring, everyone is the same size. We’re going to be smart and I’m going to do my job on Saturday night. A victory will put me back in line for a rematch with Deontay Wilder.”
Tickets are on sale for the Sept. 8 showdown between Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter at Barclays Center for the vacant WBC welterweight championship.