Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia opened his DSG Boxing Gym in Philadelphia Wednesday for a media workout prior to his August 9 welterweight bout against “Lightning” Rod Salka at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY live on SHOWTIME.
Garcia, along with his father and trainer, Angel Garcia, spoke to the media about the upcoming fight and trained in front of the cameras. With fight night just over a week away, here is what the two had to say on Wednesday:
DANNY GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
“I always have something to prove. Either I’m fighting someone who I’m not supposed to beat and no one believes in me, or I’m fighting someone I’m supposed to beat and if they fight well I can’t win anyway.
“To me, it doesn’t matter, title fight or not, at the end of the day it’s my show and I’m going to put on a great performance for the fans.
“I can guarantee one thing, on Aug. 9 it’s going to be an exciting fight and people who don’t watch it are going to miss out.
“I always go for the knockout. I need a knockout. I haven’t had one since Morales back in Brooklyn so I’m definitely going for it.
“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. I can’t control what people are going to say. All I can do is go in there August 9th and fight hard for my fans.
“I feel like every fight I’m in is always a big fight. There’s always excitement and the fans know what they’re going to see when they see Danny Garcia. They’re going to see blood, sweat and tears, they’re going to see power and excitement.
“Someone is going to get hurt and it isn’t going to be me.
“The last mandatory I knew I had was Lucas Matthysse. As far as the rankings though, I don’t really pay attention to that.
“No matter how I win, I believe August 9 is going to be a great show. Brooklyn has a great atmosphere for fights.
“Both Salka and [Mauricio] Herrera move a little bit, they’re about the same height so there are some similarities. I was focused last fight [against Herrera], but I made a lot of mistakes. I’m not making any mistakes this time around; you’re going to see me on my A-game.
“We’re more focused as a team this camp and more disciplined. We’re doing everything right. There’s a lot of chemistry. I’ve sparred over 100 rounds already and we’re prepared.
“When I fought Salka last I had just come back from U.S. [amateur] championships, and I had faced so many fighters, the main thing I remember is that I won. The only other thing I remember is being aggressive and trying to walk him down.
“My dad is fired up, he’s been classic Angel Garcia. He was more quiet last fight, but he’s back now. I’m calling August 9 ‘The Purge’ because team Garcia is going to purge Barclays Center.”
ANGEL GARCIA, Danny’s Father and Trainer
“wasn’t disappointed about it not being a title fight, there’s nothing we can do. Everybody has a job, I’m here to train Danny and he’s here to fight.
“I don’t really watch tape. That’s old thinking. I watched the Herrera fight just to get the doubt about it out of my head, but that’s just from the media. They made it seem like Herrera destroyed Danny, but I didn’t see it like that.
“What happens when you get all this negativity in the media about a performance, the next person you’re going to fight feels the consequences. Salka is in a predicament right now. He’s in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“To me, Salka is going to come 100 percent, fighting an undefeated guy. He’s going to want to get that reputation, but I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about Danny and I know he’s going to be ready.”
ABOUT “GARCIA VS. SALKA”:
Garcia vs. Salka, a 10-round welterweight bout on Saturday, August 9, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Dibella Entertainment, IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion Lamont Peterson puts his title on the line against Edgar Santana in a 12-round championship bout. Opening the telecast, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, Brooklyn’s own Daniel Jacobs takes on Jarrod Fletcher for the vacant WBA Middleweight World Title. The event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, will air live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).
Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.
