If there was any reason Errol Spence forgot why he chose Danny Garcia as his first opponent for 2020, the playful trash talk from the challenger’s side served as an instant reminder.
The pair of top-rated welterweights addressed the media to discuss their upcoming unified title fight, which takes place December 5 at AT&T Stadium—home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys—in Arlington, Texas. Philadelphia’s Garcia (36-2, 21KOs) comes in as a healthy betting underdog, though he and his outspoken father and head trainer, Angel Garcia are brimming with confidence in a bid to begin a second welterweight title reign and fourth overall spanning two weight divisions.
"We’re gonna dictate the fight, first of all. We’re gonna be on top of him,” alleged the elder Garcia. “We’re not gonna do like Mikey [Garcia, no relation] did. He ran all night and he was glad he got out of there. He was glad he took the check and walked back.
“We’re looking at going to Texas… we’re gonna sit on their helmet right there at (AT&T) Stadium (the famed Dallas Cowboys star occupying the center of the 50-yard line) after Danny wins the title.”
That type of talk was pure music to the ears of the unbeaten, unified welterweight titlist.
“I picked Danny Garcia so I could rise to the occasion,” Spence noted (26-0, 21KOs) of his first fight back since surviving a horrific single car crash last October. “I feel like he’s a great fighter. The odds are still in my favor even after my car accident. I would show that I’m a great fighter and he’s a great opponent.
“His dad gets me hype just him saying how they gonna dictate the pace, how they gonna come forward and throw punches, this and that, and they gonna take the belt from me in my hometown. Every time I fought in my hometown, I either got a knockout or just a shutout win.”
Spence headlines his third consecutive Fox Sports Pay-Per-View event for the occasion and his second out of the state-of-the-art venue near his Desoto (Texas) hometown. The undefeated southpaw dominated Mikey Garcia in their matchup of unbeaten pound-for-pound entrants, in front of an announced 47,525 in attendance.
Six months later came Spence’s most recent win, a gut-check 12-round split decision over Shawn Porter last September in front of an announced crowd of 16,702 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their Fight-of-the-Year level war ended with Spence leaving with two welterweight belts, which he plans to retain to and through his next fight.
“I’m 100% ready for anything they bring to the table, whether they come forward, they box or just stand there and fight,” insists Spence, who attempts his fourth overall title defense. “Whatever they need to do, I’m just gonna listen to my coach [Derrick James].
“I ain’t gonna get into no head games like Shawn Porter. I fought Shawn Porter’s game and I beat him at his own game. I’m sure they want me to stand there and slug with Danny Garcia, he got a rock-hard chin. At the end of the day, I’mma do whatever I need to do to win the fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox