Robert Easter Jr. has tried to downplay Mikey Garcia’s resume ahead of their lightweight unification bout on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
“Who has he fought?” Easter has asked in numerous interviews. “The only person he beat was Adrien Broner and we know that wasn’t the Broner we knew in that fight.”
MORE: Robert Easter Jr.: I’m here to scratch Mikey Garcia’s name off the pound-for-pound list
When addressing Easter's comments with Garcia, the Mexican-American’s face tightens. He clenches his jaws before leaning forward in his chair.
“That’s why I want to fight Errol Spence,” he says. “I’m always the favorite heading into fights. My accomplishments don’t get credit because I’m supposed to win. To be great, I need to be in a fight that I’m not supposed to win.”
Garcia has been accused of overlooking his fight on Saturday with Easter, but he reassures Sporting News that he’s absolutely not. He can walk and chew gum at the same time without tripping himself up. Easter will get what’s coming to him, but you’ll have to excuse Garcia because he’s chasing greatness.
“Spence is the fight that can put me over the top,” he said. “A guy who started as a featherweight, who is now a lightweight challenging a welterweight? That’s almost unheard of.”
There is something about what Easter said that did get under his skin a little. The fact that there’s a rumor that Adrien Broner wasn’t at his best puts a smudge mark on his victory, and Garcia doesn’t like it one bit.
“I think Adrien Broner was at his best, if he wasn’t I would have knocked him out,” he said flatly. “He was very motivated, he changed camps and made weight with no issues. That tells you that he took this fight very seriously. I just didn’t let him do what he wanted to do. I was a step ahead. Whether it was timing, speed, powers, angles or defense, I was always a step ahead.”
Excuses. He’s sure that he’ll hear them when he beats Easter on Saturday night to add his IBF lightweight title to his WBC belt. He’s been so dominant that everyone comes up with a reason for their loss aside from Garcia being the better man. But if he steps into the ring with Spence, he has no real physical advantages. Spence is bigger, allegedly stronger and younger than Garcia. That’s appealing to him. The danger of losing isn’t one that gives him pause, either.
“I don’t think being undefeated is going to determine my greatness,” he says while noting Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson have several blemishes on their record. “I think taking on the toughest challenges are what will determine that I’m great. All of the great fighters have had losses but are still considered among the greatest ever. The undefeated record is not as important to me as facing the toughest challenges out there. Of course, I want to stay undefeated. But I’m not afraid of losing.”
Garcia hasn’t lost a fight since his last amateur bout in 2006. He remembers losing that fight, but it wasn’t something that had him down for long. “I just turned pro and won fights,” he says with a shrug of indifference.
He’s now 38-0 with 30 knockouts. If he beats Easter on Saturday, expect him to call out Spence, again. If it were up to him, Spence-Garcia would happen at the end of the year. He’s pretty confident the fight can be made if Errol wants it.
“I think it can happen this year,” he says. “I’m willing to go up to welterweight after this fight. If everything goes well and I’m not hurt, let’s do it. If Errol is up for the challenge and it generates the money he wants, I’m sure he’ll take it. Nothing else is preventing this fight from happening.”
Thoughts of hanging around at welterweight are immediately dashed by Garcia. He has no interest in remaining there to collect world titles. Instead, he’ll move back down and take aim at the other pound for pound fighter people want to see him in the ring with – Vasiliy Lomachenko.
“I won’t stay at Welterweight. I’ll move down to lightweight or super lightweight unless there’s another attractive fight that makes sense,” he says. “The main reason I’m pursuing these fights is for the opportunity to become the greatest of all time. That’s all I want.”
