By Keith Idec
Multiple sources confirmed to BoxingScene.com on Tuesday that the Adrien Broner-Mikey Garcia fight will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Barclays Center was considered the favorite to land Broner-Garcia since it was officially announced June 1. MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and Staples Center in Los Angeles made strong bids, though, and also were considered by manager Al Haymon, whose company, Haymon Boxing, represents Broner and Garcia.
Fighting at Staples Center would’ve been viewed as a disadvantage for Cincinnati’s Broner because Garcia is from Southern California. Broner and Garcia have fought once apiece at Barclays Center, which will host its fourth boxing event this year July 29.
Broner (33-2, 24 KOs) edged Brooklyn’s Paulie Malignaggi (36-8, 7 KOs) by split decision in a welterweight title fight at Barclays Center in June 2013. Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), a native of Oxnard, California, fought at Barclays Center last July 30, when he ended a contract-related, 30-month layoff by stopping the Dominican Republic’s Elio Rojas (24-3, 14 KOs) in the fifth round of their junior welterweight bout.
The 29-year-old Garcia, the WBC lightweight champion, will move up five pounds, from 135 to 140, to box Broner. The former featherweight and super featherweight champion won the WBC 135-pound title by knocking out Montenegro’s Dejan Zlaticanin (22-1, 15 KOs) in the third round of his last bout, January 28 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
His victory over Rojas was Garcia’s only fight contested over the lightweight limit since he turned pro in July 2006.
The 27-year-old Broner, a former four-division champion, will move down from 147 pounds to face Garcia. In his last fight, Broner beat Adrian Granados (18-5-2, 12 KOs) by split decision in a 10-rounder February 18 in Cincinnati.
Showtime will televise the Broner-Garcia fight.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
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