By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Only a few feet separated Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman on a stage Thursday.

Handicappers have placed more distance between them than that in establishing odds on their welterweight title unification fight Saturday night. Thurman is more than a 2-1 favorite over Garcia entering their 12-round fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (CBS; 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Promoter Lou DiBella can’t quite understand why the 28-year-old Garcia isn’t held in higher esteem.

“You know, it’s interesting,” DiBella said during a press conference Thursday at a Manhattan hotel to promote the fight. “Every time I look at Danny’s record, it makes me think if he was a comedian, he might be like Rodney Dangerfield because the guy doesn’t get the respect that he deserves if you look at his quality of opposition and what he’s done in his career.

“I mean, this man’s beaten a dozen excellent fighters and there are world champions and former world champions sprinkled all over his resume. He’s a little faster than everyone believes, he punches harder than everyone believes, he’s better than people seem to think and every time he’s put in up to here [his neck], he rises and finds a way to win. And winners find a way to win. And that’s why this is a betting fight. That’s why the outcome’s in doubt.”

Philadelphia’s Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), the WBC world welterweight champion, has defeated 10 ex-world champions during his nine-year pro career. That group of former title-holders includes, in chronological order, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Erik Morales (twice), Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Mauricio Herrera, Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero.

Thurman, meanwhile, has beaten seven opponents who’ve held world titles during his nine-year career. The WBA world welterweight champion’s list of conquests includes Carlos Quintana, Jan Zaveck, Diego Chaves, Julio Diaz, Guerrero, Luis Collazo and Shawn Porter.

Garcia’s seemingly stronger resume aside, the 28-year-old Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) is widely viewed as the more natural welterweight, the better boxer and the favorite.

“I live for moments like this,” Garcia said. “I’ve been the underdog before. I’ve been the promoted fighter. I’ve been the underdog. At the end of the day, all underdog means is there’s a bunch of people who don’t know what I could do. And I’ve proven to the world what I could do, and that’s rise to the occasion every time. Danny Garcia doesn’t win because he knows how to win. Danny Garcia wins because he’s better and he’s a true champion. And come Saturday night, I’m gonna show that.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.