Thurman vs. Garcia Was Easy Deal To Make, Says SHO Sports Prez

By Edward Chaykovsky

WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia (32-0, 18KOs) receives a lot of heat from the fans for facing less than spectacular competition and not being as active as he should be, but he's scheduled for a dangerous unification fight with  WBA champion Keith Thurman (27-0, 22KOs) on March 4.

According to Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza, Garcia vs. Thurman was one of the easier deals to make with no issues at all from either side. He says both boxers really wanted to face each other, which made the entire process that much easier.

“Sometimes the biggest fights are the easiest to make and [Thurman vs. Garcia was one] of the easier to make over the last year,” Espinoza said to the Los Angeles Times. “When two guys truly want to fight each other and there’s no real politics or gamesmanship, all the other details fall away, and the sport is pretty simple."

Garcia is taking a stay busy fight on November 12th against Samuel Vargas in Philadelphia. The fight is a ten round non-title fight. The tuneup was scheduled because Garcia has been inactive since capturing his title with a decision over Robert Guerrero back in January.

The fight will be televised either on Showtime or on CBS in prime time. The venue and location has yet to be determined, but there are strong indications that it's going to land in Las Vegas or the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Probably the biggest fight that can be made in the division today,” Espinoza said of the Thurman-Garcia match. “And we’re keeping the fight off pay-per-view. Danny Garcia has been criticized, but he has one of the strongest resumes in the sport, and he’s won those fights in a variety of ways, as has Keith. Whether it’s boxing, brawling or punching, these guys find a way to win. That’s what makes March 4 so intriguing.”