Sugar excited for sweet bout
Thurman vs. Garcia has Leonard nostalgic for golden age
YOU can’t blame Sugar Ray Leonard for feeling a bit of déjà vu when it comes to Saturday night’s welterweight unification bout between Keith “One Time” Thurman and Danny “Swift” Garcia at Barclays Center.
The matchup between two unbeaten belt holders might be the closest thing to when Leonard faced Thomas Hearns on Sept. 16, 1981, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. That night, Leonard (30-1, 21 KOs) put up his WBC welterweight title, while Hearns (32-0, 30 KOs) risked his WBA belt in what would be one of the most memorable fights in boxing history. Leonard, his left eye swollen shut, won on a 14th-round TKO with Hearns ahead on all three scorecards.
Leonard thinks Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) and Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) have the potential to script their own memorable performance in Brooklyn. Thurman of Clearwater, Fla., will carry the WBA belt into the ring, while Garcia, a Philly native, is the WBC champ.
“This is the perfect matchup,” Leonard said Wednesday during a conference call. “You have two incredible fighters, each one of them with their own style and confidence. What also raises an eye is the unification. That’s big time for any fighter. If these fighters can live up to the expectations, I think it’s going to be a home run.”
Leonard will be part of the broadcast team that will call the fight on CBS, just the second prime-time boxing on broadcast television in 40 years. It’s also just the third time in boxing history two unbeaten welterweight champions have met in a unification bout. The most recent came in 1999 when Felix Trinidad defeated Oscar De La Hoya.
Leonard was part of the golden era of the welterweight division, battling foes like Wilfred Benitez, Hearns and Roberto Duran. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have been the stars at 147 pounds in recent years, but the division is entering a new era ready to chart its own history.
Kell Brook of England will de- fend his IBF welterweight title against Errol Spence Jr. on May 20 in Sheffield, England, while Pacquiao is expected to defend the WBO version against Amir Khan on May 19 in the United Arab Emirates.
“These are the type of fights that’s going to bring boxing back,” Leonard said. “It’s going to require these type of individuals, these types of athletes, these type of potential superstars to change and make boxing what it used to be.”
Leonard said he favors Thurman in the fight but “wouldn’t bet the house on it.” What’s his reasoning? “It’s just my gut that tells me Keith is a little bit more solid than Danny,” he said. But Leonard also likes Garcia. “Danny has a big heart and he doesn’t give in,” Leonard said. “People shortchange him. He deserves to be up there.”
Much of Leonard’s Hall of Fame legacy took root that night when he rallied with one eye against Hearns. He showed more heart than anyone thought he had. He thinks the spotlight will bring out the best in Thurman and Garcia.
“When my left eye was closed and I was behind on the scorecards, it’s at those moments when you’re called on to be great,” Leonard said. “It’s not always about being undefeated. It’s about fighting the best guys out there as you climb the ladder. You raise the bar each and every fight. This fight is going to be bigger and better because of what’s at stake.”
Meanwhile, the New York State Athletic Commission as of late Wednesday had yet to approve a license for Angel Garcia to work as his son’s trainer Saturday night. The commission met with Garcia last week and said the issue would be decided before Saturday. Garcia’s licensing is in jeopardy after his profane tirade during a Jan. 18 press conference at Barclays to promote the bout.