By Ian S Palmer
Undefeated WBO Super Featherweight Champion Mikey Garcia of America will be putting his title on the line against Juan Carlos Burgos of Mexico on Saturday January 25 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 12-round bout will be taking place at and can be seen across the USA and Canada on the HBO network.
The 26-year-old challenger enters the bout with a record of 30-1-2 along with 20 Kos. He’s got a 68.5-inch reach and stands just over 5-feet-8-inches tall. Burgos is hoping this bout will be third time lucky for him as it’s his third attempt to win a world title. It’s also the second time he’s been offered a crack at the WBO belt.
Burgos was beaten by Hozumi Hasegawa on points back in 2010 in the former champion’s backyard of Japan. He then took on Roman Martinez in the U.S. in his second shot at the crown, but could only manage a split decision draw in that bout. Martinez was later knocked out by Garcia when they met. Burgos may have been the victim of some bad luck against Martinez as many fans believed he did enough to win.
However, to take the 130 lb title from Garcia he’s going to have to bring his A game and leave little doubt in the judges’ minds as to who wins. He’s got decent power, fast hands and is quite mobile in the ring, but he’s going to be facing one of the top super featherweights in the world right now in Garcia and it’s definitely not going to be easy.
The 28-year-old Garcia hasn’t been beaten as a pro yet and will climb through the ring with a 33-0 record with 28 of his wins coming by Ko. He’s slightly smaller than Burgos with a 68-inch reach and stands 5-foot-7. He’s also a former world featherweight champion. Garcia has better than average power and is also a solid boxer.
There isn’t really a weak side to Garcia’s game and his power and boxing skills have simply been too much for all of his opponents so far. He may find Burgos to be a bit tougher than the rest of them though due to Burgos’ mobility. Burgos won’t be standing right in front of the champion, meaning Garcia’s going to have to use his feet as well.
Prediction
Garcia has the edge in just about all departments here other than the insignificant reach and height disadvantages he’s giving up to Burgos. He’s faster, has more power, is a better technician and can also take a good shot. If there is a question regarding the outcome of this bout, it’s basically how will Garcia win it? If Burgos boxes from the outside and moves around the ring effectively we’ll probably see this bout go the distance with the champion retaining his title. However, if Burgos decides to stand his ground and trade blows, we should see Garcia stop him sometime in the second half of the fight.
