October 8, 2025 • 15 mins
Coming up on Saturday night October 18th, former two-division champion Danny "Swift" Garcia ends a 13-month layoff and will headline his own Swift Promotions card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Garcia will meet Daniel Gonzalez in a 10-round junior middleweight bout in what is billed as his “Farewell to Brooklyn”
However, before he steps into the ring once more, Garcia spoke at length to our insider Dan Rafael, who wanted to know more about why comeback? Why do it now and is he really serious about continuing to fight on after this bout?
Hear the very interesting answers to it all on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!
Garcia will meet Daniel Gonzalez in a 10-round junior middleweight bout in what is billed as his “Farewell to Brooklyn”
However, before he steps into the ring once more, Garcia spoke at length to our insider Dan Rafael, who wanted to know more about why comeback? Why do it now and is he really serious about continuing to fight on after this bout?
Hear the very interesting answers to it all on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
But it is my great pleasure to welcome to the
podcast this week. It is none other than the former
two division world champion, my man who I've been to
many of your fights, Danny Swift. Garcia is back in action,
Danny Alfel, the folks, what you've got coming up? You're
going to be taken on New Yorker Daniel Gonzalez. You'll
be headlining your own Swift Promotion's cart at the Barclay
Center in Brooklyn, take place on October eighteenth. Card's going
(00:24):
to stream live for those who want on pay per
view on Millions dot Co. So thank you for doing this.
I appreciate it. We'll discuss your role as the fighter
and as the promoter.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
This is paying the butt, That's what I know.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Here you go. So I wanted to start off with
because I think when this fight was Announcedding it came
as maybe a little bit of a surprise to some people,
because I think a lot of people frankly, I kind
of wasn't really thinking too hard about it, but I
was like, oh, I thought maybe he was all done.
He gave it a go. In the last fight thirteen
months ago, you moved up to middleweight. You challenged Arislani
(01:00):
Lar for the WBA title. You were coming off a
long way off even going into that fight, and you
know it didn't really quite work out for you. You
know what I'm like. You know, Danny's got a young family.
It just had another baby. He had won world titles
in two divisions. Have other businesses, made a lot of money.
I had a hell of a career and I was like, boy,
(01:21):
he's coming back. So my question for is what is
the motivation for this comeback?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
You know, the motivation for this comeback is everything you
just said, you know, my company.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
My family, the loss to Laura. I just can't. I
feel like I can't in my career that way.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I've done too many great things, even though he's a
great champion and I did to be great infl short,
but I think everything you just said is was motivating
me to be for this fight, Everything you just said
in my fans, you know, my family, and me just
being winning the n It's off being a boss and
getting my hand raised no matter what.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
That's the most important thing for me.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Well, that fight with Laura that you mentioned, that place
in September of twenty twenty four, and honestly, I mean
It just seemed like it was a disaster from the
opening belt. It just did not not You just were
not sharp. You were coming off like a twenty six
month layoff, fighting at your heaviest weight, obviously fighting another
talented fighter, and what do you think what was what
(02:20):
went wrong? Was it? Is it the layoff? Was it
the weight?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Just that I just think.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
My spirit is a fighter since I wasn't in the
ring for so long, even in training, I just felt
like I couldn't get my mind to that championship level,
that spirit of a.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Fighter you need.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
It just wasn't. It just wasn't. You know, it wasn't there.
You know, it just wasn't there. And I tried, I
try to fight through it. You know, it just it's
just one of those days where it's just right and unite.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Well did you think, though, when it was all said
and done, that okay, you know what, I gave an effort.
Maybe it wasn't my night and I did have a
great current. So I am going to retire or did
you always feel like I'm going to come back at
some point?
Speaker 3 (03:05):
No, I knew I was going to come back and
just do probably do one more fight and promote my
own next fight, because I've been hitting it in my
interviews that I want to do. I want to promote
my last fight and kind of just go out like that,
you know, as a doing my own fight and winning
with my hand raising the air and that's it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, it's like.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
My last fight is like you know, the Titanic when
Jack Dawson dies at the end, It's like, damn, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Want the movie to end like that.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Understand that, but.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, that's how That's how I feel. It's like the
Danny Garcia movie cannot in that way.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
So your your Swift Promotions is the promoter of this
fight obviously, that's the company that you founded, uh, and
they're putting on this fight at Barclay Center, which has
been the host to numerous major fights through the years,
including many of Danny Garcia's fights. So you're obviously from Philadelphia.
Everybody knows that, but Barclay Center has been your I
feel it's your your home arena in many ways. You
(04:03):
are seven and two there as a professional. You obviously
hope to be eight and two after this October eighteenth fight.
The two losses were very close and tremendous battles with
Keith Thurman and Sean Porter. What has that building meant you?
You opened it for boxing with there were victory against
Eric Morross, and you've been synonymous with their boxing program, right.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
I remember when when I first won the title mens
Morales and I had to remasure with him.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I really wanted to do the fight in Philly.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I remember, let me let me come back to Philly
and you know and do a you know, like a homecoming,
and they were like, you're fighting Brooklyn. I'm like, I'll
find why am I find?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Why? Am I finding Brooklyn? One of the fan my
titles in Philly?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
First?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, and then uh, it's just like an instant marriage,
you know. I remember that they was like thirteen thousand
people in there is actually the first world title fight
ever in Brooklyn. And then every since then it's just
like New York has just adopted me.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, first world title fight in like eighty years or
something like that, not the first ever.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
But at the Barclay Center.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that it was the first ever
boxing event that they had there. You headlined a very
big showtime card and besides that, that victory against Eric Morales,
you knocked him out after having beaten him in the
first fight, sent this great Hall of Famer into retirement.
You had several other big wins against top quality names
in the Barclay Center, as well as zab Judah, Lamon Peterson,
(05:24):
Paul Malinaji. Obviously the two close losses and really great
fights against Thurman and uh and Porter. Do you have
a favorite fight there that you had there and why
what was doing that?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think my favorite fights at the Barclay is Morales
because I knocked him out and then Thurman. That was
a crazy That was an electro fund fight, you know,
even though I felt like I probably did enough, but
it's still like Brooke All type of records at that time,
and I feel like those were great, great, great fights.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Uh, those were definitely big ones that I have to
say though from my perspective having been at those fights.
That left hook knockout of Eric Morales in the rematch
that sent him off into retirement was something spectacular. Plus
the controversy of course with them coming into that fight
with the positive drug test that the New York Commission
allowed him to fight with, so there was a lot
in the backdrop.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, he woke up that they think that I wasn't fighting.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You know, I remember talking the night before the fight,
just coincidentally coming back to my hotel room, running into
you guys were on the same floor as me and
the hotel just by coincidence, and running into your father
who was very distraught about should I let my son
fight because they for some reason, the commission was leaving
it up to you know, you guys of what you're
(06:40):
going to do. So I understand why that was like
a really big deal that you did fight and get
that great knockout or one of the many memorable fights
for your at that building. So, like I said, you
faced a lot of top guys in that building, but
you've also faced a lot of top names not at
Parklay Center. You know, you had the great victory by
knockout to unify titles at junior welterweight against Amir Khan.
(07:02):
You had the huge upset decision against Lucas Matist, who
was the big Boogeyman at that time, big favorite.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
You went on you beat Robert Guerrero to win the
WBC welterweight title. I mean, I can go on and on.
He had a lot of good wins, even before you
were a champion, Nate Campbell, Kendall Hull, for example. So
do you ever think about the prospect, you know, once
you are all done and it's in retirement, about being
elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which I
(07:29):
know is you know that is the ultimate for any
professional Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
I feel like you know, I thought, I think in
boxing will make sure hall of Famer is fighting the best.
Obviously winning the world titles and becoming a world champion,
that's one thing. But I think fighters are always remember
for who they fought at what time. And I fought
everyone when they wanted me to fight him. I fought
Keith Thurman when we were both undefeated young guys. I
(07:55):
fought Amir Khan, we were both in our prime. I
fall Matisa when he was in the fine I mean
I thought prime fighters and win, loser draw. I always
came and I gave him all. I sold out arenas,
I won world titles. I lost some world titles, But
at the end of the day, I think that's the
definition of a Hall of famers fighting the best, win, losing,
(08:17):
draw and obviously world titles.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
And I did that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, no doubt've been doing that. Your whole career. I
mean you didn't even met you thought guys at GARYL.
Spence when he was still undefeated. I mean plenty of
top names. So you just mentioned all these top names
that you did fight, and it's pretty much the litany
of the of the best guys in and around. Uh.
Was there ever a fight that you wanted among the
(08:43):
bigger names that you didn't get in that career that
you've had so far.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Probably many, or Floyd I gues I always wanted to
test my skills against those guys, all time greats, and
it just never happened.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
But that's probably about I mean, those would have been interesting,
I suppose at that time.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Sure, so we're we're where now you're going to this fight,
You're you're thirty seven, You're promoting this fight with Daniel Gonzalez.
It's being billed as farewell to Brooklyn. Now I noticed
that it's not farewell to boxing, it's farewell to Brooklyn,
which is obviously in reference to all the great matchups
that you've had at Barclay Center. So is it in
(09:25):
your mind that if everything goes well that you are
going to carry on, Maybe we'll have a farewell to
Affilly or whatever where where you're thinking this is really
the end of the line.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I'll tell you one thing. It's a eighty chance of
what this is my last fight?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
What's the fifteen percent on the other fifteen percent?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Because I'm a fighter, Just because I'm a fighter, and
you know, you go in there and knock somebody out.
Now you're filming it all good again. Your name's buzzing.
They're telling this, They're saying that the phone might range.
But I feel like I've done so much in boxing,
you know, I still want to keep I don't want
to be one of those fighters who just keep fighting
and keeps fighting, you know, at the end of the day,
(10:04):
I got I gotta worry about my health too, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And I get the impression Danny that some guys, look,
let's just be honest, some guys come back as they
need the money. I get the impression that Danny Garcia
is not in dire need of like the financial I mean,
if the money is great, don't get me wrong, but.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I can't imagine like extra money, good money, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
But right, but this isn't like this is not a
Nega fight that's paying millions and millions of.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Times, I's doing this fight for the money.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I'm doing this because I want to win and I
want to promote my own own company, you know, So
I'm doing this for the love of the sport. How
many fighters can say they've done that and yeah, So
I'm just doing this fight right here because i want
to win. That's I'm just a I love winning and
I want to go out on my hand and raised.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So if you do that and it does go your
way and you have that great moment where you know
they say in the winter, Danny Garcia, and you've done
this in front of a nice crowd, in front of
the arena that you call home, Uh, can you just
walk away? Or like what would it what would it
take you to bring back to do something else?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I mean, if I look great, but if I look
like I won, but it's just like you know, it
wasn't Danny Garcia, then it's like, you know, I don't
want to you know, it depends how I win. But
the way the way I'm training is, Uh, I feel
like I'm gonna have a great night. I feel like
I'm had a great night. I feel good. I mean
the only thing that takes longer for me to recover.
(11:22):
That's about it. But everything else, I still I'm still good.
I'm still sure.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So you're coming off, like I said about a thirteen
month layoff, and I wonder, what are you expecting from Gonzales?
Obviously you your opponent is across the ring. You got
to deal with him. He has a good record. Uh,
he's fought some good guys but lost him like a
Chris Alger for example, Chris Algery for example, a former
world champion. He'll also be moving up in wait to
fight you. So what is it about Gonzales that that
(11:46):
you looked at and said that's the guy I should fight. Like,
what are you expecting for him to bring to the
ring after then? The desire to put a great name
like Danny Garcia on his record.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
You know I sparred him before for Sean Porter about
seven years ago, and I remember he's a guy that
worked hard but never got the exposure. And I say, look,
I don't mind sharing the ring, giving a goy some exposure.
And you do good against Andy Garcia. You know, it
might change your life, might get you some bigger fights.
But just giving somebody the opportunity, you know, on my
(12:19):
night to try to shine against me, and some fighters
never get the opportunity, and I know how it feels.
So he's a guy who with a solid record, comes
to fight, he's in great shape, and I feel like
it's it's gonna be a good fight.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It's a good fight for me.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So we talked a lot about the accomplishments that you've had,
the great matchups you've had, the fact that you fought everybody,
been a long career, done a lot of great things
in it. Is there one thing that you're most proud
of in the course of this eighteen year career, you.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Know, the most I'm proud of is just being a
world champion and listening to my father Andrew Garcia, being
a good listener, and just investing my money and just
you know, I'm blessed and just now I'm just happy
to have my own promotion and try to help other fighters.
(13:11):
But I'm proud of a lot of things. I'm really
proud of myself listening, you know, because this this game
is really.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You get to a certain level where it's like you
think you know it all and they have. You got
to have some type of discipline to listen. So I
feel like me making it this farest because I listened
to my father.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know, he asked you how excited is Angel will
get back in action. I mean, you know, because he's
gone along as you've gone along. It's not like he
has this big stable of fighters he trains. Uh, he's
been out of the action as a trainer. Now, I
guess for a while since you haven't been fighting. So
is he as pumped up as this for this as
you are? Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah, he's excited.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Andel had a stroke last year, so it took it
took him some time to get back. He's still getting better,
but he loves boxing. This is what's keeping him alive.
He's boxing, So this is he He loves going to
the gym, you know, is what I've been doing since
I as a kid. So this is Mick amstronger as well,
you know, keeping him sharp, keeping him in the game
with the young guys in the gym. And he just
(14:08):
loves boxing. It's just when you think about Andrew Garcia,
just think about boxing, because that's that's all he cares about.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I'm glad that he's doing okay after the stroke. That's
great to hear. I've been doing this covering boxing for
twenty six years, almost twenty six years, Danny, and of
all the fighters I have covered, I've gone back and
I've tracked this to some degree. I've been ringside for
more Danny Garcia fights than just met any boxer in
that time period, I believe. Well, I was at the
(14:38):
Laara fight. I think that was my twenty fifth of
your fights I've been ringside for, including your professional debut.
I was at when you won the title, won forty,
when you beat Matisse, both the Judah Spans Porter. I
want to know, do I get a prize? Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Yeah, for sure. Listen, I got you. I'll think of something.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I'll think of something sure for being on my side
and covering all my fights.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
That's that's a journey. That's a lot of hard work.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Tell me that I appreciate it, and you.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Know, and you take a lot of criticism, we all do.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
But it's a part of being who you are, right, Absolutely,
that was just a little joke there to wrap things up.
I appreciate it, No, you do.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I mean the media deserves a lot of I think
the media does deserve a lot of credit because without
the media, now me knowing everything, you can't really have fighters.
There's no way for them to get out there. So
the media plays a big play in boxing. It's good
or bad. Hear that they ain't talking about you. You ain't
(15:35):
doing something right, so.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
That is true. I'm supposed to Yeah, well all right.
October eighteen, Danny Gerr see it back in the ring
against Dange No Gonzales. Danny's been a pleasure. I wish
you the best of luck in the fight, and we'll
have to wait and see what happens with that fifteen
percent possibility of fighting after this.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Thanks man, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
You've got good luck to you for sure.
But it is my great pleasure to welcome to the
podcast this week. It is none other than the former
two division world champion, my man who I've been to
many of your fights, Danny Swift. Garcia is back in action,
Danny Alfel, the folks, what you've got coming up? You're
going to be taken on New Yorker Daniel Gonzalez. You'll
be headlining your own Swift Promotion's cart at the Barclay
Center in Brooklyn, take place on October eighteenth. Card's going
(00:24):
to stream live for those who want on pay per
view on Millions dot Co. So thank you for doing this.
I appreciate it. We'll discuss your role as the fighter
and as the promoter.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
This is paying the butt, That's what I know.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Here you go. So I wanted to start off with
because I think when this fight was Announcedding it came
as maybe a little bit of a surprise to some people,
because I think a lot of people frankly, I kind
of wasn't really thinking too hard about it, but I
was like, oh, I thought maybe he was all done.
He gave it a go. In the last fight thirteen
months ago, you moved up to middleweight. You challenged Arislani
(01:00):
Lar for the WBA title. You were coming off a
long way off even going into that fight, and you
know it didn't really quite work out for you. You
know what I'm like. You know, Danny's got a young family.
It just had another baby. He had won world titles
in two divisions. Have other businesses, made a lot of money.
I had a hell of a career and I was like, boy,
(01:21):
he's coming back. So my question for is what is
the motivation for this comeback?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
You know, the motivation for this comeback is everything you
just said, you know, my company.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
My family, the loss to Laura. I just can't. I
feel like I can't in my career that way.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I've done too many great things, even though he's a
great champion and I did to be great infl short,
but I think everything you just said is was motivating
me to be for this fight, Everything you just said
in my fans, you know, my family, and me just
being winning the n It's off being a boss and
getting my hand raised no matter what.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
That's the most important thing for me.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Well, that fight with Laura that you mentioned, that place
in September of twenty twenty four, and honestly, I mean
It just seemed like it was a disaster from the
opening belt. It just did not not You just were
not sharp. You were coming off like a twenty six
month layoff, fighting at your heaviest weight, obviously fighting another
talented fighter, and what do you think what was what
(02:20):
went wrong? Was it? Is it the layoff? Was it
the weight?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Just that I just think.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
My spirit is a fighter since I wasn't in the
ring for so long, even in training, I just felt
like I couldn't get my mind to that championship level,
that spirit of a.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Fighter you need.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
It just wasn't. It just wasn't. You know, it wasn't there.
You know, it just wasn't there. And I tried, I
try to fight through it. You know, it just it's
just one of those days where it's just right and unite.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Well did you think, though, when it was all said
and done, that okay, you know what, I gave an effort.
Maybe it wasn't my night and I did have a
great current. So I am going to retire or did
you always feel like I'm going to come back at
some point?
Speaker 3 (03:05):
No, I knew I was going to come back and
just do probably do one more fight and promote my
own next fight, because I've been hitting it in my
interviews that I want to do. I want to promote
my last fight and kind of just go out like that,
you know, as a doing my own fight and winning
with my hand raising the air and that's it.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I mean, it's like.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
My last fight is like you know, the Titanic when
Jack Dawson dies at the end, It's like, damn, I didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Want the movie to end like that.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Understand that, but.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, that's how That's how I feel. It's like the
Danny Garcia movie cannot in that way.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
So your your Swift Promotions is the promoter of this
fight obviously, that's the company that you founded, uh, and
they're putting on this fight at Barclay Center, which has
been the host to numerous major fights through the years,
including many of Danny Garcia's fights. So you're obviously from Philadelphia.
Everybody knows that, but Barclay Center has been your I
feel it's your your home arena in many ways. You
(04:03):
are seven and two there as a professional. You obviously
hope to be eight and two after this October eighteenth fight.
The two losses were very close and tremendous battles with
Keith Thurman and Sean Porter. What has that building meant you?
You opened it for boxing with there were victory against
Eric Morross, and you've been synonymous with their boxing program, right.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
I remember when when I first won the title mens
Morales and I had to remasure with him.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I really wanted to do the fight in Philly.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I remember, let me let me come back to Philly
and you know and do a you know, like a homecoming,
and they were like, you're fighting Brooklyn. I'm like, I'll
find why am I find?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You know?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Why? Am I finding Brooklyn? One of the fan my
titles in Philly?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
First?
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, and then uh, it's just like an instant marriage,
you know. I remember that they was like thirteen thousand
people in there is actually the first world title fight
ever in Brooklyn. And then every since then it's just
like New York has just adopted me.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, first world title fight in like eighty years or
something like that, not the first ever.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
But at the Barclay Center.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that it was the first ever
boxing event that they had there. You headlined a very
big showtime card and besides that, that victory against Eric Morales,
you knocked him out after having beaten him in the
first fight, sent this great Hall of Famer into retirement.
You had several other big wins against top quality names
in the Barclay Center, as well as zab Judah, Lamon Peterson,
(05:24):
Paul Malinaji. Obviously the two close losses and really great
fights against Thurman and uh and Porter. Do you have
a favorite fight there that you had there and why
what was doing that?
Speaker 3 (05:35):
I think my favorite fights at the Barclay is Morales
because I knocked him out and then Thurman. That was
a crazy That was an electro fund fight, you know,
even though I felt like I probably did enough, but
it's still like Brooke All type of records at that time,
and I feel like those were great, great, great fights.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Uh, those were definitely big ones that I have to
say though from my perspective having been at those fights.
That left hook knockout of Eric Morales in the rematch
that sent him off into retirement was something spectacular. Plus
the controversy of course with them coming into that fight
with the positive drug test that the New York Commission
allowed him to fight with, so there was a lot
in the backdrop.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, he woke up that they think that I wasn't fighting.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You know, I remember talking the night before the fight,
just coincidentally coming back to my hotel room, running into
you guys were on the same floor as me and
the hotel just by coincidence, and running into your father
who was very distraught about should I let my son
fight because they for some reason, the commission was leaving
it up to you know, you guys of what you're
(06:40):
going to do. So I understand why that was like
a really big deal that you did fight and get
that great knockout or one of the many memorable fights
for your at that building. So, like I said, you
faced a lot of top guys in that building, but
you've also faced a lot of top names not at
Parklay Center. You know, you had the great victory by
knockout to unify titles at junior welterweight against Amir Khan.
(07:02):
You had the huge upset decision against Lucas Matist, who
was the big Boogeyman at that time, big favorite.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
You went on you beat Robert Guerrero to win the
WBC welterweight title. I mean, I can go on and on.
He had a lot of good wins, even before you
were a champion, Nate Campbell, Kendall Hull, for example. So
do you ever think about the prospect, you know, once
you are all done and it's in retirement, about being
elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which I
(07:29):
know is you know that is the ultimate for any
professional Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
I feel like you know, I thought, I think in
boxing will make sure hall of Famer is fighting the best.
Obviously winning the world titles and becoming a world champion,
that's one thing. But I think fighters are always remember
for who they fought at what time. And I fought
everyone when they wanted me to fight him. I fought
Keith Thurman when we were both undefeated young guys. I
(07:55):
fought Amir Khan, we were both in our prime. I
fall Matisa when he was in the fine I mean
I thought prime fighters and win, loser draw. I always
came and I gave him all. I sold out arenas,
I won world titles. I lost some world titles, But
at the end of the day, I think that's the
definition of a Hall of famers fighting the best, win, losing,
(08:17):
draw and obviously world titles.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
And I did that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, no doubt've been doing that. Your whole career. I
mean you didn't even met you thought guys at GARYL.
Spence when he was still undefeated. I mean plenty of
top names. So you just mentioned all these top names
that you did fight, and it's pretty much the litany
of the of the best guys in and around. Uh.
Was there ever a fight that you wanted among the
(08:43):
bigger names that you didn't get in that career that
you've had so far.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Probably many, or Floyd I gues I always wanted to
test my skills against those guys, all time greats, and
it just never happened.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
But that's probably about I mean, those would have been interesting,
I suppose at that time.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Sure, so we're we're where now you're going to this fight,
You're you're thirty seven, You're promoting this fight with Daniel Gonzalez.
It's being billed as farewell to Brooklyn. Now I noticed
that it's not farewell to boxing, it's farewell to Brooklyn,
which is obviously in reference to all the great matchups
that you've had at Barclay Center. So is it in
(09:25):
your mind that if everything goes well that you are
going to carry on, Maybe we'll have a farewell to
Affilly or whatever where where you're thinking this is really
the end of the line.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I'll tell you one thing. It's a eighty chance of
what this is my last fight?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
What's the fifteen percent on the other fifteen percent?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Because I'm a fighter, Just because I'm a fighter, and
you know, you go in there and knock somebody out.
Now you're filming it all good again. Your name's buzzing.
They're telling this, They're saying that the phone might range.
But I feel like I've done so much in boxing,
you know, I still want to keep I don't want
to be one of those fighters who just keep fighting
and keeps fighting, you know, at the end of the day,
(10:04):
I got I gotta worry about my health too, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And I get the impression Danny that some guys, look,
let's just be honest, some guys come back as they
need the money. I get the impression that Danny Garcia
is not in dire need of like the financial I mean,
if the money is great, don't get me wrong, but.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I can't imagine like extra money, good money, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
But right, but this isn't like this is not a
Nega fight that's paying millions and millions of.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Times, I's doing this fight for the money.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I'm doing this because I want to win and I
want to promote my own own company, you know, So
I'm doing this for the love of the sport. How
many fighters can say they've done that and yeah, So
I'm just doing this fight right here because i want
to win. That's I'm just a I love winning and
I want to go out on my hand and raised.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So if you do that and it does go your
way and you have that great moment where you know
they say in the winter, Danny Garcia, and you've done
this in front of a nice crowd, in front of
the arena that you call home, Uh, can you just
walk away? Or like what would it what would it
take you to bring back to do something else?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I mean, if I look great, but if I look
like I won, but it's just like you know, it
wasn't Danny Garcia, then it's like, you know, I don't
want to you know, it depends how I win. But
the way the way I'm training is, Uh, I feel
like I'm gonna have a great night. I feel like
I'm had a great night. I feel good. I mean
the only thing that takes longer for me to recover.
(11:22):
That's about it. But everything else, I still I'm still good.
I'm still sure.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So you're coming off, like I said about a thirteen
month layoff, and I wonder, what are you expecting from Gonzales?
Obviously you your opponent is across the ring. You got
to deal with him. He has a good record. Uh,
he's fought some good guys but lost him like a
Chris Alger for example, Chris Algery for example, a former
world champion. He'll also be moving up in wait to
fight you. So what is it about Gonzales that that
(11:46):
you looked at and said that's the guy I should fight. Like,
what are you expecting for him to bring to the
ring after then? The desire to put a great name
like Danny Garcia on his record.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, so.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
You know I sparred him before for Sean Porter about
seven years ago, and I remember he's a guy that
worked hard but never got the exposure. And I say, look,
I don't mind sharing the ring, giving a goy some exposure.
And you do good against Andy Garcia. You know, it
might change your life, might get you some bigger fights.
But just giving somebody the opportunity, you know, on my
(12:19):
night to try to shine against me, and some fighters
never get the opportunity, and I know how it feels.
So he's a guy who with a solid record, comes
to fight, he's in great shape, and I feel like
it's it's gonna be a good fight.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
It's a good fight for me.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So we talked a lot about the accomplishments that you've had,
the great matchups you've had, the fact that you fought everybody,
been a long career, done a lot of great things
in it. Is there one thing that you're most proud
of in the course of this eighteen year career, you.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Know, the most I'm proud of is just being a
world champion and listening to my father Andrew Garcia, being
a good listener, and just investing my money and just
you know, I'm blessed and just now I'm just happy
to have my own promotion and try to help other fighters.
(13:11):
But I'm proud of a lot of things. I'm really
proud of myself listening, you know, because this this game
is really.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You get to a certain level where it's like you
think you know it all and they have. You got
to have some type of discipline to listen. So I
feel like me making it this farest because I listened
to my father.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know, he asked you how excited is Angel will
get back in action. I mean, you know, because he's
gone along as you've gone along. It's not like he
has this big stable of fighters he trains. Uh, he's
been out of the action as a trainer. Now, I
guess for a while since you haven't been fighting. So
is he as pumped up as this for this as
you are? Oh?
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Yeah, he's excited.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Andel had a stroke last year, so it took it
took him some time to get back. He's still getting better,
but he loves boxing. This is what's keeping him alive.
He's boxing, So this is he He loves going to
the gym, you know, is what I've been doing since
I as a kid. So this is Mick amstronger as well,
you know, keeping him sharp, keeping him in the game
with the young guys in the gym. And he just
(14:08):
loves boxing. It's just when you think about Andrew Garcia,
just think about boxing, because that's that's all he cares about.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I'm glad that he's doing okay after the stroke. That's
great to hear. I've been doing this covering boxing for
twenty six years, almost twenty six years, Danny, and of
all the fighters I have covered, I've gone back and
I've tracked this to some degree. I've been ringside for
more Danny Garcia fights than just met any boxer in
that time period, I believe. Well, I was at the
(14:38):
Laara fight. I think that was my twenty fifth of
your fights I've been ringside for, including your professional debut.
I was at when you won the title, won forty,
when you beat Matisse, both the Judah Spans Porter. I
want to know, do I get a prize? Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Yeah, for sure. Listen, I got you. I'll think of something.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
I'll think of something sure for being on my side
and covering all my fights.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
That's that's a journey. That's a lot of hard work.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Tell me that I appreciate it, and you.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Know, and you take a lot of criticism, we all do.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
But it's a part of being who you are, right, Absolutely,
that was just a little joke there to wrap things up.
I appreciate it, No, you do.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
I mean the media deserves a lot of I think
the media does deserve a lot of credit because without
the media, now me knowing everything, you can't really have fighters.
There's no way for them to get out there. So
the media plays a big play in boxing. It's good
or bad. Hear that they ain't talking about you. You ain't
(15:35):
doing something right, so.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
That is true. I'm supposed to Yeah, well all right.
October eighteen, Danny Gerr see it back in the ring
against Dange No Gonzales. Danny's been a pleasure. I wish
you the best of luck in the fight, and we'll
have to wait and see what happens with that fifteen
percent possibility of fighting after this.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Thanks man, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
You've got good luck to you for sure.
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