By Lem Satterfield
Four-division champion Mikey Garcia's free agent status grants him latitude to work with powerful advisor Al Haymon, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn of DAZN, networks Showtime and FOX and various promoters he said during a Wednesday interview with Tha Boxing Voice hosted by Nestor Gibbs.
"Everybody has a chance at a partnership with me because I am still a free agent. I don't have anything signed with anybody, I don't have any short term or long term [deals] with any promoter or any management company or anything like that. I have been working well with the PBC [Premier Boxing Champions] production...I was working well with Stephen Espinoza at Showtime. Now we're working with FOX," said Garcia.
"I'm open to work with anybody that presents a good offer and a good deal and a good partnership. I can work with anybody. I'm still closely in touch with Eddie Hearn, I've spoken to [Oscar De La Hoya’s] Golden Boy...I'm still open to discuss anything available and any possible options for me. if it makes sense for me and for my career, and it's in the same path that I wanna take my career in, then I can definitely work with anybody."
The 31-year-old Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) challenges IBF 147-pound champion Errol Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) on March 16 at The Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Fox Pay Per View. Garcia’s making his 147-pound debut in pursuit of his fifth crown in as many divisions against the 28-year-old Spence (24-0, 21 KOs), a southpaw pursuing his third defense and 12th straight knockout victory.
Garcia spent 2 ½ years out of ring due to a legal battle with former promoter Top Rank, returning with a fifth-round TKO of Elio Rojas in July 2016 followed by a 135-pound title-winning third-round knockout of DeJan Zlaticanin in January 2017.
Since his return, Garcia’s fights have been televised through Haymon Boxing's Premier Boxing Champions, which has three- and four-year deals with the Showtime and FOX networks. Garcia fought Rojas and Zlaticanin on Showtime.
“My experiences with Top Rank as a developing fighter were always great. They always know how to develop a fighter. They know how to take a fighter’s career and develop it at a pace to secure a title fight, move them up the ranks, that kind of stuff. Toward the end, we had a falling out due to the business of the sport. It was like a marriage that doesn’t work out. You break up. You divorce. I aligned myself and started working with relationships and people that offered their services and their help” said Garcia.
“Like Al Haymon, Richard [Schaefer of Ring Star Sports,] [Lou] DiBella, Stephen [Espinoza] I started working with these other individuals, but I controlled my career the way I wanted it. I’m in control. I can get the fights that I want, I can push for whatever I want, and manage myself in a way that I feel is best for me, not for anybody else, not for any other secret agenda, not for any other company or network or whatever. I’m doing what needs to be done for me, for my future, for my career, and for my legacy.”
