By Elisinio Castillo
WBC, IBF lightweight world champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) is already gearing up and focused on a potential showdown with IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence at year's end.
Garcia - who captured world titles at 126, 130, 135 and 140 - is eager to win a fifth divisional title - against Spence (24-0, 21 KOs).
"I've always been looking for bigger fights, bigger challenges. The goal is to win another world title in another division, and it doesn't get any better than doing it against the best, against the most feared champion. I hope it's something that can finalized before the end of the year," Garcia told George Ebro.
Garcia, although grabbing solid wins over Adrien Broner and Sergey Lipinets at junior welterweight, said he felt small at 140-pounds and moved back to 135.
Still, he's confident that his physical attributes will help him defeat Spence.
"Going up to a new division is never easy. I began at featherweight at 126, and making the jump to 147 is huge. My dad and my brother do not agree [with me going to 147], but I know that I have the qualities [necessary to win]: speed, intelligence, legs, experience. I think that I can beat him.
"Gaining the power is essential, knowing how to eat, and in the gym we always work strong. If I'm going to gain weight, I don't want to do it by being fat,. I want to do it with power - but at the same time I want to feel fast. I ultimately always win with intelligence.
"There are people who will always have their opinions. And there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just doing what I can to leave a legacy, to cement my footprint, so I'm facing undefeated champion such as Zlaticanin, Lipinets and Easter Jr. Now I'm going through the room. No one else is currently doing what I'm doing."
