Winning the WBA middleweight title from Erislandy Lara would be the icing on the cake of Danny Garcia’s career

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Danny Garcia laughs at the idea that he'll get chubby when he moves to 160 pounds. In fact, the former two-division titleholder, now 36, is anything but fat. He's probably never been this ripped in his long, distinguished professional career. He knows that the clock is ticking down on his Hall of Fame career. Right now, the cherry on top is dangling in front of him: WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara (30-3-3, 18 knockouts) this Saturday night as the undercard for the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Lara, the Ring's No. 4 middleweight, agreed to face Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) in the catchweight range of 157 pounds, a weight that may be harder for Lara to get to than it will be for Garcia to get up.

“Call me a steak and potatoes man,” Garcia said with a laugh after a recent workout. “I feel great. I have to gain a little weight to get to 157. I can maintain my weight. There was a time when it got difficult to stay at 140 (where he reigned as Ring/WBA/WBA junior welterweight champion) and ended up at 147 (where he reigned as WBC welterweight champion). That took a toll on me. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I remember feeling incredible when I fought at 154 (in a 12-round majority decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr.). I felt like that was my natural weight.

“I'm getting big and more muscular when I train. I can hold the weight now when I go up. I've fought with bigger guys, I feel my bite and I feel my feet are good. I'm moving well. I feel a lot stronger mentally and physically. I can walk around at 163 and be completely focused on working out a game plan. I'm not training to lose weight like I have in the past.”

“Swift” said he respects Cuban expat Lara. The left-hander, once seen as a sweet guy who was reluctant to get into fights, has completely changed his attitude. He has stopped his last three opponents and was really exciting in the process. Despite being 41, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Garcia said he had studied Lara and knew what to expect. In preparation, his sparring partners weighed between 77 and 79 kilos.

“I think this has a chance to be the fight of the year,” Garcia said. “I'm ready for anything. If he wants to stay there and hit, we can do it. If I have to chase him, then I have to chase him. Or maybe he has to chase me (laughs), but I doubt it. I feel strong here (at 157). I've carried my power with me. He might make the mistake of thinking he's the stronger one. If he thinks that, he'll be very surprised at how strong I am. Just like everyone else. He can try whatever he wants.”

Garcia now owns an advertising agency and several stores in the greater Philadelphia area. He knows he's nearing the end and wants to quit on his own.

At the peak of his career, Garcia had two wins over Hall of Famer Erik Morales, his memorable knockout of Amir Khan that made him a star, and wins over Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah and Nate Campbell. Since 2018, however, he is 4-2, with losses to Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr.

“The only thing I'm thinking about at this stage of my career is my legacy,” Garcia said. “I've got a lot going on, with my advertising agency, my businesses. I've got real estate. I don't think I have anything left to prove. I want to start giving back to other fighters. Defeating Lara would definitely be the icing on the cake.”