By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – As expected, the New York State Athletic Commission approved Angel Garcia’s application Thursday for a trainer’s license.
The announcement came after Thursday’s final press conference for Saturday’s Danny Garcia-Keith Thurman fight took place without incident at a Manhattan hotel. Angel Garcia, Danny’s father/trainer, did not speak during Thursday’s press conference and was not seated on the stage.
Dan Birmingham, Thurman’s trainer, didn’t not speak during the press conference, either, and also wasn’t seated on the stage.
The NYSAC met with Angel Garcia on February 22 to discuss his controversial behavior during a January 18 press conference to officially announce the Danny Garcia-Keith Thurman fight.
Angel Garcia repeatedly referred to Thurman as a “n*gga” and a “bitch” that day at Barclays Center, and promoter Lou DiBella and others eventually had to separate Angel Garcia from Thurman. Angel Garcia also made divisive comments about immigrant boxers during the ugly incident.
Danny Garcia – who is set to make $2 million (the same purse as Thurman) for their welterweight title unification fight at Barclays Center – told BoxingScene.com on February 15 that he wouldn’t fight Thurman if the NYSAC prevented his father from working his corner.
That wasn’t a decision Danny Garcia needed to make because the NYSAC’s punishment was requiring Angel Garcia to film a video and to make an undisclosed donation to a charity of his choice.
“I had a little meeting with them, but it was nothing,” Angel Garcia said. “I didn’t do nothing [wrong], but I did my part. They told me to do something and I did it. I completed my half. But I didn’t do nothing [wrong] at the end of the day, though.”
When asked to elaborate on his punishment, an unapologetic Angel Garcia said, “I did a small video. We do a lot for kids anyway. We donate haircuts and we do things for the kids in the neighborhood [in Philadelphia]. So it ain’t nothing new for us to do something like that. So I donated to the Joe Frazier Foundation, money, and then that was it. And then I had to say [I’m sorry] if I offended any immigrant or whatever, or refugees. I made a video like that.”
Danny Garcia said the controversy involving his father wasn’t a distraction during training camp and hasn’t taken away from him properly preparing to meet Thurman.
“At the end of the day, it happened already and all there is to do is fight now,” Garcia said. “At the end of the day, it’s just a fight. And that’s pretty much it. I can’t worry about that. My job is to worry about the fight and nothing else.”
Philadelphia’s Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) and Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs), of Clearwater, Florida, will fight for Garcia’s WBC world welterweight title and Thurman’s WBA world welterweight championship. Their scheduled 12-round fight will be broadcast by CBS.
The telecast is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with a 12-round junior middleweight match between Erickson Lubin (17-0, 12 KOs), of Orlando, Florida, and Mexico’s Jorge Cota (25-1, 22 KOs).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.