Mikey Garcia Still Waiting For a Date, Hopes For Zlaticanin Shot

By Steve Kim

After a two-and-a-half year layoff, Mikey Garcia returned to the ring on July 30th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn by stopping Elio Rojas in five rounds. There was talk that Garcia (35-0, 29 KO's) would return in the early fall.

"That's what we're waiting for, (Mikey's) still in the gym, he's still training. He took three days off because he went to Philadelphia the last couple of days. All we're waiting for is a confirmation of a date,"explained Robert Garcia, the brother and trainer, of the former two-time world champion.

"First we were told October the 15th, then October 29th and as of right now I don't think there's going to be anything till late November, maybe December. There's nothing confirmed and there's no official date and we're just waiting and hoping that they give us a date, soon," Robert Garcia told BoxingScene.com.

There was speculation of a card being staged at the Staples Center that would be promoted by Richard Schaefer's new promotional company in October - but thus far nothing has materialized. Garcia was supposed to have faced  WBC 135-pound belt-holder Dejan Zlaticanin on that show.

Garcia told BoxingScene.com late last week - "That's the fight we're still looking forward to happening, unless the champion decides to do something else, I'm not sure. But what I was told - and Mikey was also told - that that fight is already confirmed, we just obviously need a date and a TV network to approve it and give us a date. That's all we're waiting for."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.