Danny "Swift" Garcia is the WBC and WBA junior welterweight champion, but despite his undefeated record, and two wins in 2014, he has lost momentum since a 2013 upset of Lucas Matthysse.
Part of that has been Garcia's choice of opponents. Very few fans were aware of Mauricio Herrera when Garcia fought him in Puerto Rico, and Garcia struggled to a controversial split decision victory. He then fought a blow-up lightweight in Rod Salka, came in overweight, and brutally knocked him out.
The fight did little to advance Garcia's standing, and in fact frustrated some fans because IBF champion Lamont Peterson fought on the undercard instead of the main event in a unification bout.
Now, Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya is expressing interest in having the two finally meet for supremacy in the 140-pound division. "We have to see where we can make that fight," De La Hoya said.
"But Atlantic City obviously is a place where we would consider placing that fight. Garcia-Peterson is a fight that deserves to be made there but we'll see what happens in their futures."
Garcia was originally slated to face No. 1 contender Viktor Postol, but Postol agreed to a "step aside" deal that would allow Garcia to seek a higher-profile opponent. Fans have clamored for a rematch between Garcia and Matthysse, but Garcia has shown little interest in tangling with the Argentine knockout artist again. Having cleaned out most of the top junior welterweights already, Peterson is the logical choice.
"There are no negotiations taking place whatsoever but that's a fight that I would like to make," De La Hoya said. "I'm talking about it for a reason and if I am talking about it, then something is going to be made. That's a fight that Danny deserves and that's a fight that Peterson deserves and that's a fight that the fans deserve."
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