Comments Thread For: Garcia Takes Step To Become Puerto Rico's Next Star

[hitking]

Angel has done a great job of moving Danny. So its kinda hard at this to be critical of any decision he makes. But I just don't see where it makes sense to not want a Floyd fight. Furthermore, I don't see why he's hanging about 140. Danny's a good lil fighter. But I don't see him being a guy that has legnthy reign on top in his future. Much like Mares, at any time he could be knocked off unexpectedly. Hell, I wouldn't be totally shocked if Herrera outboxed him. His stock is probably never gonna be higher than is was coming off the Matthysse win. It was not only an excellent performance. It was on the biggest stage boxing can offer. I think he's one day, maybe soon, regret not taking the Floyd fight right now.

[Hyper Knuckles]

I get that he's trying to maximize his fanbase by touching on his roots and all, it's just I don't feel he embraces the PR culture enough for the Ricans to care. Does he know a lick of spanish, or even tried learning it? I suppose he's as good a replacement as they come until Verdejo starts kicking some serious ass and usurps the true crown from him.

[Basco]

Go live in Puerto Rico Danny Garcia and take up citizenship there. If you're born in America - you're an American. If you don't want to embrace that, then go move somewhere else. I might as well call myself English because my roots are from there. That's the problem with this country everyone wants to be from somewhere else - there's no unity.

Puertoricans are born with US citizenship you numb nuts! Ignorance is daring!

[JakeNDaBox]

Plenty? The only Puerto Rican Hall of Famer that was born in the United States is Wilfred Benitez (Bronx, NYC). I don't know how much time he spent on the island in the past, but be he lives there now. Since I was in my early teens when he was in his heyday, I don't remember how well "El Radar" was regarded in P.R.

Tu le vas a hacer caso al imbecil ese? Benitez desarrollo su fan base very early in his career. He stayed close to his root from the beginning.

Yeah thing with Benitez too is whiie he was born in NY, he was raised in PR and already living there by the time he turned pro. Plus he was also "taught" to NOT speak English (or even learn it), which I always found to be ignorant of his father, but that was supposed to keep him true Boricua and not be regarded as a gringo... although the latter cost him millions (or at least hundreds of thousands) in supplemental sponsorship income.

[DoktorSleepless]

Does anyone think that if De La Hoya didn't speak Spanish while parading around as a Mexican icon, he'd be anywhere near as popular as he was?

[-Kev-]

The dude doesn't even speak Spanish so how can Puerto Rico fully embrace him? They won't do it

If they don't embrace him now, they will do it when he becomes so popular they'll want to claim him. Unfortunately there are no big Mexican names at 140-147 that Garcia can fight to give him that Mexico vs PR angle. Garcia vs Marquez would be huge and I bet you the PR fans would support him there. Too bad Marquez is basically with Arum right now. But a win over Marquez would catapult Garcia to super stardom and I know if he wins, he'd do it better than Bradley and Pacquiao did because he just has the size, power and style to clearly beat a guy like JMM at 40 years old.

Otherwise Garcia vs Mayweather or Pacquiao would give him a lot of support from PR fans, but Angel doesn't want Mayweather right now.

[-Kev-]

Does anyone think that if De La Hoya didn't speak Spanish while parading around as a Mexican icon, he'd be anywhere near as popular as he was?

His popularity also came from his sad story about his mother, his amateur background, his style, and of course his ability to attract females. DLH had it all.

[-Kev-]

I get that he's trying to maximize his fanbase by touching on his roots and all, it's just I don't feel he embraces the PR culture enough for the Ricans to care. Does he know a lick of spanish, or even tried learning it? I suppose he's as good a replacement as they come until Verdejo starts kicking some serious ass and usurps the true crown from him.

I don't get it, what is it with PR and not embracing a half countryman? PR boxing fans happily root for fighters that have nothing to do with PR at all, but they can't root for and embrace a guy who's family is Puerto Rican? It doesn't make sense.

[Zarco]

I'm am kinda split on this. This whole time Danny and his dad have been Philly this and philly that. Now some marketeer probably said, hey moe dollahs if you tap into the PR fight scene as right now, they are hurting.

Danny is a phillydelphian at heart, not rican. Even Angel's spanish is ****ed. We do have many ignorant nationalists in PR that follow people just to follow and they are toting a PR flag.

For those that don't know **** about Puerto Rican heritage, culture or history needs to limit their remarks to boxing or get their facts straight. I don't have a problem with someone being born outside of PR and claiming their heritage because that's what they want. I do, when it'$ beneficial to them. Point in case Marc Anthony. That ***** speaks the language, embraces the culture and has made a point to claim his heritage, even with all the push back he has had.

Point in case, I think he should remain a phillydican and call it a day. I'll follow him regardless coz he his boxing has won me over as a fan, not where he is born or what he claims.

Very true. You see that with many Mexican-American boxers that dont have any interest in their roots and cant speak Spanish. Their managers advise them to go for the Mexican market and in their fights they come out to a Mexican song they dont even know about and dont care about.

[moonshineman]

Puerto Rico

Why doesnt he move to Puerto Ricp, and tale Angel with him?.