By Miguel Rivera
WBC lightweight world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) has hinted that the negotiations are far advanced for his return on January 27 as part of a Showtime televised card.
However, the Mexican-American boxer is deep in negotiations for a unification with WBA champion Jorge Linares and hopes that it takes place in that month or around that time period.
"We're talking to Golden Boy about facing Linares and it's a fight that interests me a lot. At lightweight I am a champion and he is a champion. It is the fight that is worth it, that the public is asking for. We are talking with [Golden Boy President] Eric Gomez to see if we can reach an agreement for January or maybe we move the date, but it is the fight that interests us the most," said Garcia to ESPN Deportes.
BoxingScene.com had previously reported that Garcia met with Golden Boy last Wednesday in Los Angeles to discuss the details of a Linares fight.
"There are places available in Los Angeles. Those dates of January 20 and 27 are the ones that Eric Gomez mentioned, then there are others in February or March, but I would like to do the fight in Los Angeles," Garcia said. "There are other dates available in Las Vegas, but for me and Golden Boy we would like Los Angeles. It would be an eye-catching fight in Southern California.
"Hopefully that fight can be achieved. It will definitely be done in 2018. If it's not done in January, I'm sure it will be done a few months later. (Linares) is a great champion, he has shown it several times, he is in his best stage, he has already managed to shine in other divisions for years, but now he is at his best, he is strong, very fast, his hands speed and legs is something almost incredible, because before he wasn't doing it like he's doing it right now.
"(The qualities of Linares) are things that I have to look at, take care of his speed of legs and hands, combinations where he sometimes throws four and five punches, but that is what draws attention to the fight. (Linares) brings little things and I bring things, and those are the things that are required for a great fight."