Broner-Garcia Staff Picks
Sunday Puncher staff weighs in on the Super Lightweight spectacle
It’s fight week! Adrien Broner will be fighting Mikey Garcia this Saturday, July 29th, at the Barclay’s Center on Showtime Championship Boxing. The fight is contracted at the Super Lightweight limit of 140 lbs. The books have it relatively close, with Garcia the favorite at -294 to Broner’s +256 (Draw +2900). I raised
a few key questions regarding both fighters that are just as valid today as they were weeks ago when the fight was announced.
The Sunday Puncher team weighed in on this fantastic match-up.
Leo: Garcia by decision. In my first take linked above, there was a question of Broner’s dedication; Broner posting training clips on social media and talking about being a changed man is not new and doesn’t sway my prediction. Mikey may be smaller, but he’s got elite skill that is better than any of Broner’s recent wins (and even losses). Broner is still a live dog who will take some rounds; by no means is this a one-sided shutout, but I expect a win from Garcia in the 7–5, 8–4 neighborhood.
Angelo: Garcia by decision. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking Mikey Garcia is something that he’s not. His knockout of Zlaticanin was brilliant, but not the most accurate representation of Garcia as a fighter. Rarely are one-punch knockouts. How many does Sergey Kovalev have? I think a focused Broner will be good enough to go the distance and win a handful of rounds and make this far closer than anyone thinks.
Gleb: Broner by stoppage. Garcia is a counter-puncher, Broner is a counter-puncher. Garcia doesn’t move that much to be turning Broner around constantly, therefore he’s gonna be throwing at AB’s defense. Mikey will surely outwork him in the first half of the fight, but there is no way Broner will let Garcia take it that easy. Broner is a much bigger man than Garcia. He’s gonna come at him in the latter part of the fight and beat him up. To a knockout.
John: Broner by decision. Saturday night will mark Adrien Broner’s coronation. Mikey Garcia’s record has been built on small, slow, clumsy fighters, and yet he has been knocked down by that level of competition. Broner will leverage his advantages in size, speed, and pure talent to humble Garcia. Adrien Broner by Unanimous Decision with a knockdown along the way.
Fred: Garcia by decision. For a fighter who once seemed disinterested in the sport, Mikey Garcia has wasted no time in trying to make up for his absence from the scene. I think Mikey will take this fight by decision based on AB’s tendency to wait and let the fight come to him; a style which could allow Mikey to pick his spots to take a points victory. That being said, I do think Broner has the most room to surprise in this fight. Mikey might be jumping up a bit too high against a fighter who shouldn’t be run over like Mikey’s previous opponents.
Babs: Garcia by decision. The most interesting aspect of this matchup is that it puts
two natural counterpunchers against each other. Whoever wins this fight has to lead and force the action for significant periods of the fight. Broner is capable of doing that but not at the intense, consistent level necessary to win. I expect Garcia to adjust to the size and speed and then pull away down the stretch to win a decision with sharp power punching.
Graeme: Draw. Broner should be the person that can storm Garcia, but he won’t have the energy after being drained to 140. Expect him to tire early and take off one round too many. Mikey will look human, and he could very well hit the deck. I think we’ll also see him struggle with the weight but for the opposite reason. He will be slower and lower his work rate. Every round will be 10–10. I’m calling a draw.
Jovan: Broner by decision. Being the bigger name and the A-side, Mikey will be forced to bring the fight to Broner. This is not Garcia’s strength and should make him uncomfortable. It also happens to play right into the Can Man’s usual strategy. After a slow start, Broner will start to time Mikey and eventually start landing big shots. As the naturally bigger man, these blows will take its toll on the fighting pride of Oxnard. If Broner can avoid getting caught, I see him cruising through the final rounds to win via a close but unanimous decision.
Raj: Garcia by decision. Garcia fought a dangerous champion in a new weight after years away from the ring and made it look insultingly easy. While
Broner is the stronger fighter with many advantages, Garcia’s boxing IQ will win him a decision (though not without getting tagged by a heavy right hand or two).
Total: Garcia 5(1)-3(1)–1
idk how such a good coach can be stuck at that stereotypical BS Mexican macho talk. Maybe it's mental warfare cause he knows that it favors Mikey if Broner doesn't "run" so basically doesn't fight Mikey from the outside and doesn't use his movement which is one of his advantages if he decides to use it.
Garcia