By Miguel Rivera
WBC, IBF lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) explained that he's not wasting his time with pursuing a potential fight against WBA champion Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) - because the two-time Olympic gold medal winner's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, will never allow it to happen.
Garcia had been promoted by Arum for most of his career - but they had a falling out in 2014.
Garcia filed a lawsuit to break away from Top Rank and the legal battle lasted for two years before they reached an agreement in 2016 to go their separate ways.
The main issue in making Garcia vs. Lomachenko appears to be the network affiliations.
Garcia is tied to Showtime and Lomachenko is tied to ESPN.
Arum has already stated that unless Garcia wants to fight on ESPN and accept the monetary offer on the table - the fight will not happen.
Because of that, Garcia has called IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence as his "option A" - and he has no problem with moving up by two weight divisions.
That fight would be a lot easier to make, because they both fight on Showtime and both have business dealings with adviser Al Haymon.
Garcia would rather not waste his time with Arum.
"Yes there is option B, but things may get complicated. I'm interested in Lomachenko, and at lightweight there is no other opponent more attractive than him, but I have not heard Bob Arum say they want to fight with me. Bob is not going to allow this fight, and why should I waste my time. But if they are interested, let them talk to me," Garcia said to ESPN Deportes.
Danger is no hurdle, as Garcia has embraced the idea of facing Spence.
"He beat Brook, Lamont Peterson. He has technique, defense, stature, he's left-handed, strong, dangerous, he's a young champion.. maybe he does not have the trajectory but he has the qualities," Garcia said.
