By Radio Rahim
Newly crowned WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs) is ready for the biggest challenges available.
This past Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Garcia became a three division world champion with a vicious third round knockout of previously undefeated Dejan Zlaticanin (22-1, 15 KOs).
Remarkably, the big victory was only Garcia's second fight after snapping a two and a half year layoff last July in Brooklyn. Garcia had been out of the ring while waging a legal battle to break his promotional agreement with Top Rank. The two sides reached a settlement in early 2016.
One fight in particular that Garcia would embrace with open arms - is a showdown with two-time Olympic gold medal winner Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs).
With only eight pro fights under his belt, Lomacheko is already a two-division world champion. He captured the WBO super featherweight title last year with a crushing knockout of Roman Martinez, and then retained the belt in November with a dominating stoppage of Nicholas Walters.
Lomachenko is slated to return in April in a possible unification with WBA champion Jezreel Corrales. Beyond that, Lomacheko's handlers have already been discussing the possibility of a move to the lightweight division by year's end.
While Garcia's open to fight Lomachemko, he's not sure if the Ukrainian's handlers are willing to make the fight. Lomachenko is promoted by Top Rank and managed by Egis Klimas.
"We hear about Lomachenko from all of the media and reporters and the fans, but I have yet to hear anything from Top Rank or his manager mentioning my name. I would definitely take on a challenge like that if he comes up to 135," Garcia told BoxingScene.com.
"He's still at 130, I'm at 135 now. If he decides to move up, and they present me with that opportunity - we'll take it. But it's not up to me, it's up to him to move up. I'm not coming down. If anything he needs me at 135. I'm not coming down to 130 and I haven't heard anything from his promoter or his camp mentioning my name.
"But if he decides to move up, it would definitely be a great fight. He's got a lot of skills, tremendous skills. I have a lot of skills that people haven't even seen yet, so that would be a great opportunity to show [them]."
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