By Joe Delaney, courtesy of The Daily Star

HIS name may be Angel but the father and trainer of Danny Garcia is a devil when it comes to trash talking.

Angel Garcia has no problem being outspoken and has not wasted an opportunity to put down Amir Khan. But one thing he insists is – he is no racist.

Danny Garcia defends his WBC light- welterweight title against Bolton’s Khan (left) at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday.

And the vacant WBA belt, which the Brit lost to Lamont Peterson in his last bout, will also be on the line.

But it was the American’s dad who made most of the headlines last month when the fight was announced, saying Khan rode a magic carpet and insulting the Queen of England.

He also criticised Khan’s heritage, saying: “Pakistanis can’t fight” – and even started a religious row by claiming Khan’s God punished him when Breidis Prescott knocked him out in 2008.

But the 49-year-old insists: “I haven’t said anything bad. They’re calling me a racist but I’m no racist.

“Everything I’ve said came out of his mouth. He’s the one who said when he got knocked out that it was his God’s will. My God is a loving God, a giving God.

“I didn’t say anything racist. I just have never seen a Pakistani who can fight. That’s my opinion.

“I’ve been on this planet for 49 years and I’ve never met one. It’s just like me saying I’ve never met a Puerto Rican who can swim.

“The thing is I’m just being honest. I’m going to say what I feel in my heart. The truth hurts and people don’t like the truth.”

Garcia Snr was born in Puerto Rico but was six when his family moved to Philadelphia, where Danny was born 24 years ago.

And he claims he knew Danny was going to be a fighter from when he was a baby.

Danny won the WBC belt by beating faded Mexican legend Erik Morales in March on points and his old man believes he will knock out Khan to unify the titles, saying: “We don’t have a gameplan, because fights never work out the way you want. But if Khan opens up then Danny will knock him out.”

Khan, 25, has promised to make Danny pay for his father’s trash-talking.

But the challenger is unlikely to be able to shut up Garcia Snr, who believes his voice was saved by divine intervention after he suffered from throat cancer.

He added: “I suffered from stage four cancer five years ago.

“God saved my voice. There was a reason I kept my voice and that was to speak for Danny.”

Tags: Amir Khan , Danny Garcia , Khan-Garcia , Khan vs Garcia