Random thoughts: Assessing the career of the now-retired Mikey Garcia
Top Rank's great run; Wilder dream fight; rematches we deserved but didn't get; pining for more of HBO's 'Legendary Nights'; Bradley on point on mic; Ruiz-Ortiz PPV; my boxing confession; MUCH MORE
Plenty of boxing random thoughts…
All the best to Mikey Garcia, who retired from boxing with no fanfare this week. Given his low-key nature I can’t say I was surprised because he was never big on flash.
He typically let the results speak for him and in the end he had an excellent career. But, being honest, I felt he could have been in some bigger fights. He was pretty inactive the past few years, although the pandemic certainly did not help his situation.
Still, inside the ring he accomplished a lot. He won world titles in four divisions (from featherweight to junior welterweight), was a longtime regular on the pound-for-pound list and dared to be great when he aggressively sought out a fight with welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr. and jumped up two weight classes to face him in 2019.
Spence wiped out Garcia, who was 39-0 going in to the major pay-per-view event, Spence won every round but I always respected that Garcia was willing to take the risk. I never viewed him as a guy looking to just preserve his undefeated record like some other well-known fighters.
Garcia always struck me as having a willingness to fight anyone as long as the money was right.
One thing about Garcia — he enjoyed boxing but was always clear that it was business, and I respected that too. Outside the ring, from my perspective as a journalist, he was friendly and a good guy to deal with.
Garcia (40-2, 30 KOs) lost only twice, to Spence and by upset decision to Sandor Martin in October in what will be his final fight if he doesn’t return.
He also did things his way. He gave up 2½ years of his prime on principle in a contract beef with Top Rank but emerged from it to make a ton of money with PBC and then Matchroom Boxing in his biggest fights.
If this is really the end for him, Garcia, who is only 34, gets out with his health, millions of dollars and a resume that gives him a solid chance to make the Hall of Fame.
Here’s my ranking of his six best victories: