Mikey Garcia is still resolved to make waves at welterweight and has the opportunity to do so, when he faces former WBO World champion Jessie Vargas at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
Garcia has not fought since his unsuccessful IBF challenge against Errol Spence at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, last February – where he was soundly outboxed by the bigger man and unanimously outpointed on the scorecards. Despite being derided in certain quarters for the supposedly ill-advised decision to challenge ‘The Truth’, Garcia – who has already secured his place in boxing history by collecting world titles in four weight categories – is adamant that his future lies in the 147lbs division where potentially lucrative opportunities await the Oxnard native.
Firstly, however, there is not-so-small matter of Jessie Vargas; a rangy, rugged and seasoned campaigner who collected the vacant WBO title in 2016, stopping Sadam Ali in ten rounds. Vargas also has experience against some of the division’s best fighters, such as Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, and will be confident in his ability to derail Garcia’s welterweight aspirations – as the naturally bigger and stronger man – with a memorable upset win.
Nevertheless, Garcia will be equally keen to assert himself as a meaningful contender in the weight class, and knows that an impressive and comfortable win over Vargas will allow him to do just that. Therefore, expect Garcia’s superior quality, overall cleverness and shot selection to make its mark on the contest after a few scrappy opening rounds, en route to a clear decision victory.
Preview by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________