DANNY GARCIA: "WHAT MAKES ME ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS FIGHTERS...I'M THE MOST BALANCED FIGHTER AND I GOT A GREAT CHIN"
By Percy Crawford | October 27, 2014
PC: Danny, what's up, man? How is it going?
DG: I'm doing good, man. How you doing?
PC: Can't complain one bit my man. Not too much for you going on as far as the boxing front right now, but I see you are doing a lot of other business ventures.
DG: Yeah man, I'm just trying to remain busy in between fights; basically trying to build my brand and get DSG going in every angle. Barbershops, clothes, to music; just everything.
PC: A lot of fighters seem to understand now that you can't fight forever and are aware of the things going on outside of the ring as far as building a brand for themselves. How important is that in today's fight game?
DG: Ah man, it's very important to build your own brand, and not just fighters, but any great entertainer. The greatest entertainers last the longest and their names remain relevant because they have a brad behind them. That's what I'm trying to do. That way, when it's all said and done, my brand will be around forever.
PC: You had Jadakiss escort you to the ring for your last fight. How did that come together with the whole "Purge" theme?
DG: There was a lot of talk in the boxing world and I just felt like I had to go in there and win in spectacular form, so I just came up with the theme that I gotta purge. I watched the movie and I felt like it was a good theme. I basically just ran with the theme purge and I hit up Jadakiss, you know; he's one of the best rappers ever. It was in Brooklyn, he's from New York, and it was only right. He was down with it. He performed "The Champ is Here," I had the "Purge" mask, and we went in there and purged and it was just the perfect night.
PC: You've been putting a lot of thoughts into your ring entrances recently.
DG: Yeah! I'm starting to understand that this isn't just about boxing. It's about entertainment and from that "Purge" theme, I gained so many fans because of that. I seen a couple of people in the mall and they just ran up to me and was like, "Danny!" They showed me their phones and their screensaver was me with the "Purge" mask on. They told me they didn't even watch boxing until they seen that. I gotta be more thoughtful and get fans in and out the ring and bring entertainment both in and out of the ring.
PC: Have you gotten used to that yet, people coming up to you in the mall showing you their phone with your picture on it? I saw a large crowd around you in Vegas? Is that something you're used to or does it all still seem like a new experience to you?
DG: I'm still humbled, so sometimes I don't realize how big I am in the boxing world or even in the general public. It's like, you may not know what Danny Garcia looks like, but you've heard his name. So my name is getting bigger within the boxing world and in general and that's not a bad thing. It's just sometimes I can't believe it. I'm just soaking in every moment of it.
PC: I was looking back at some of our old interviews and you were maybe 10-0 saying you wanted to fight guys like Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao, and now you have reached a point where those fights are realistic. The fight with Pacquiao received a lot of headlines lately. Is that a fight you are interested in?
DG: I'm willing to fight anybody. I think that's a real good fight for me. I think Manny Pacquiao is a real good fight for me. But you know, it's whatever Al wants to do and it's whatever the promoters want to do. I would love to fight him and I think that would be a big fight for boxing. If they say I'm fighting Manny Pacquiao tomorrow, it's on and popping.
PC: I texted one of my boys that they were considering this fight and he texted me back in all caps, "FIREWORKS!" Is that how you view a fight between yourself and Pacquiao?
DG: No doubt it will be fireworks because he has an aggressive style, he likes to bang, he likes to fight, and I'm young and strong, but at the end of the day, he gotta worry about this guy in front of him, Chris Algieri. I think that's an interesting fight and he has to get pass that.
PC: Lucas Matthysse always seems to mention Danny Garcia's name when he has a microphone in his face. Is that a fight you would redo or does that fight not make sense to you at this stage in your career?
DG: You know what? I understand why he wants to fight me the most because I gave him his biggest payday on the biggest stage of his career. At the end of the day, boxing is about fighting the person that presents you the most amount of money and I represent that for him, but I gave him an opportunity when no one thought I would fight him. I gave him the opportunity to be a champion and he didn't take advantage of it. He fought Zab and had a chance to win that belt and he didn't win that. Zab beat him. That's just something he gotta get together. When he gets a chance to win a title, he gotta take advantage of it. Sometimes you only get that opportunity once and he's had it a couple of times already. I believe his fight with Devon Alexander was for a title as well. So he has to start capitalizing on some of these opportunities because for some people, they only come around once.
PC: I have talked to people in the industry that feel like you still haven't showcased your pure boxing ability. Do you feel that is the case or do you feel when it was called for, you have shown your full arsenal?
DG: I think I've shown it when I needed to and if I don't need to use it, then I don't have to. If I can go in there and knock a guy out, why would I go in there and try to box him? When I fought Matthysse, I knew I had to box, so I boxed him and I won the fight. And I think that's what makes me one of the most dangerous fighters in boxing. I'm the most balanced fighter and I got a great chin.
PC: We always talk about you not getting the level of respect that we thought you deserved. Now you're being mentioned in the same breath as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in terms of being in the ring with them and fans being interested in seeing you in the ring with them. Do you feel a turn in the sense of getting a little respect now?
DG: I mean, I'm building, I'm building. If you don't respect me, it probably means you don't like me. If you know boxing, you would respect me because you know what I have did in the 140-pound division and the names that I beat in the division. If you respect me and got love for me, I love you, but if you don't, just keep it moving. I'm not begging nobody to like me.
PC: In the perfect world, would your next fight be at 140 or 147?
DG: I would have to say in between. I don't want to just go right up. I'd like to do something in between, like at 143-144 area. Either I'm gonna defend my title, and most likely that's what it's gonna be, or I would love to go up. I feel real strong around that weight, between 144 and 147. But at the end of the day, it's what Al Haymon wants because I know he wants what's best for me and he knows what's best for me. So I'm not gonna change nothing. I'm gonna do what I always do, listen to my team, train, and go and fight.
PC: Are you trying to close out the year with something or just enjoy the holidays and waiting until 2015?
DG: I was hoping I was gonna get something at the end of the year, but I don't think it's looking that way, so I guess I'll be back early 2015.
PC: Bernard Hopkins will be just a few months away from his 50th birthday when he takes on Sergey Kovalev. How inspirational is that to you, not just the accomplishment, but him also being a fellow Philadelphia fighter?
DG: It's unbelievable, man. He's just a blessed person and a blessed athlete. I'm pretty sure if everybody could fight at 50, they would, but he's just a different kind of person. It's not just genetics with him though. He really works hard. I think a lot of people get that misunderstood thinking he just has experience and great genetics and thinking that's why he's beating these guys. He does have great experience, but Bernard is a disciplined athlete that works extremely hard and that's why he's a champion at his age.
PC: You recently got some autographed memorabilia from two Philadelphia Eagles, Shady McCoy and Jeremy Macklin. That's gotta rate high on the list.
DG: Yeah, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Macklin. Shady McCoy is actually a good friend of mine. We text all the time and he got me to play in his charity basketball game and we always talk here and there. I asked him was this the year the Eagles would win the Superbowl and he told me it is. It means a lot though. Things are just changing all around me. I got a lot of good friends that are doing their thing now. I was in Vegas at a Justin Bieber party chillin' with French Montana. I'm just blessed right now.
PC: I used to hear people say, "Be a fighter and not a rapper." I think the perception was that you were gonna start focusing too much on outside things and lose focus on the fight game.
DG: Well, I don't consider myself a rapper. Actually, I'm sitting in the studio right now. I got a studio where the gym is for my artists, but if I get bored, I just make a song. I'm not sitting here thinking about winning a Grammy or going platinum I just do it for fun as a hobby. I don't expect to make no money out of this unless one of my artists do.
PC: Fans think you guys walk around with boxing gloves on 24/7 and that you guys aren't allowed to have hobbies.
DG: The fans only know what I show them. I been in the gym this week, but I didn't put no pictures or video up saying that I was in the gym. They might think I'm partying and stuff, but I'm in the gym. I'm either helping out fighters or in the gym. I trained this week and nobody knows that because I didn't put no pictures up. I want people to think I'm not on my A game, but realistically, I'm always ready.
PC: On a lighter note, I got a hypothetical question for you. If Danny Garcia is fighting Floyd Mayweather, who has the better word play, Angel Garcia or Floyd Mayweather Sr.?
DG: Ah man, that's a good one because I'm not gonna lie, Floyd is funny, man. He's a funny dude and my dad, he's funny too, so I don't know, man. I think my dad is more real, so I'll have to give it to my dad.
PC: If the two sons are fighting in the ring, what happens? Could you be the first fighter to figure the puzzle out?
DG: I feel like I can beat anybody in boxing. That's why I'm in this sport. I never go into a fight thinking I'ma lose and that's why I'm a champion right now because I love boxing and I will always believe that I am the best, no matter what.
PC: I don't think I have ever asked you this, but who are some of the fighters you enjoy watching fight, or do you not watch a lot of boxing when you're not involved?
DG: Um...who do I like watching? Who do I enjoy? I'm a fan of boxing. I watch Friday Night Fights or if it's on Showtime or HBO. Any network that it's on, I watch it. I just like watching boxing. But I don't even watch my own fights, to be honest with you. I might see some highlights or something and keep it moving. I don't watch my own fights because I don't want to overwhelm myself with boxing. I just try to keep a balance and it is what it is.
PC: Before I let you go, I have another question for you on a lighter note. Since you are involved in music, can you recite the lyrics to the chorus for Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug's song "Lifestyle?"
DG: Ah man, it sound....[inaudible] beginning...(laughing). That's all I know.
PC: (Laughing) Good stuff my man. I appreciate the time and expect to see big things from the team closing out this year and next year. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
DG: Just let all of the fans know to stay tuned in and follow all of my social networks, Instagram and Twitter @DannySwiftGarcia and my Facebook fan page, which is Danny "Swift" Garcia, and visit my site www.dsgofficial.com. Follow me in between fights and heading into my next fight and I'll keep you up to date. 2015 is going to be a big year for me!
http://www.fighthype.com/news/article18279.html
By Percy Crawford | October 27, 2014
PC: Danny, what's up, man? How is it going?
DG: I'm doing good, man. How you doing?
PC: Can't complain one bit my man. Not too much for you going on as far as the boxing front right now, but I see you are doing a lot of other business ventures.
DG: Yeah man, I'm just trying to remain busy in between fights; basically trying to build my brand and get DSG going in every angle. Barbershops, clothes, to music; just everything.
PC: A lot of fighters seem to understand now that you can't fight forever and are aware of the things going on outside of the ring as far as building a brand for themselves. How important is that in today's fight game?
DG: Ah man, it's very important to build your own brand, and not just fighters, but any great entertainer. The greatest entertainers last the longest and their names remain relevant because they have a brad behind them. That's what I'm trying to do. That way, when it's all said and done, my brand will be around forever.
PC: You had Jadakiss escort you to the ring for your last fight. How did that come together with the whole "Purge" theme?
DG: There was a lot of talk in the boxing world and I just felt like I had to go in there and win in spectacular form, so I just came up with the theme that I gotta purge. I watched the movie and I felt like it was a good theme. I basically just ran with the theme purge and I hit up Jadakiss, you know; he's one of the best rappers ever. It was in Brooklyn, he's from New York, and it was only right. He was down with it. He performed "The Champ is Here," I had the "Purge" mask, and we went in there and purged and it was just the perfect night.
PC: You've been putting a lot of thoughts into your ring entrances recently.
DG: Yeah! I'm starting to understand that this isn't just about boxing. It's about entertainment and from that "Purge" theme, I gained so many fans because of that. I seen a couple of people in the mall and they just ran up to me and was like, "Danny!" They showed me their phones and their screensaver was me with the "Purge" mask on. They told me they didn't even watch boxing until they seen that. I gotta be more thoughtful and get fans in and out the ring and bring entertainment both in and out of the ring.
PC: Have you gotten used to that yet, people coming up to you in the mall showing you their phone with your picture on it? I saw a large crowd around you in Vegas? Is that something you're used to or does it all still seem like a new experience to you?
DG: I'm still humbled, so sometimes I don't realize how big I am in the boxing world or even in the general public. It's like, you may not know what Danny Garcia looks like, but you've heard his name. So my name is getting bigger within the boxing world and in general and that's not a bad thing. It's just sometimes I can't believe it. I'm just soaking in every moment of it.
PC: I was looking back at some of our old interviews and you were maybe 10-0 saying you wanted to fight guys like Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao, and now you have reached a point where those fights are realistic. The fight with Pacquiao received a lot of headlines lately. Is that a fight you are interested in?
DG: I'm willing to fight anybody. I think that's a real good fight for me. I think Manny Pacquiao is a real good fight for me. But you know, it's whatever Al wants to do and it's whatever the promoters want to do. I would love to fight him and I think that would be a big fight for boxing. If they say I'm fighting Manny Pacquiao tomorrow, it's on and popping.
PC: I texted one of my boys that they were considering this fight and he texted me back in all caps, "FIREWORKS!" Is that how you view a fight between yourself and Pacquiao?
DG: No doubt it will be fireworks because he has an aggressive style, he likes to bang, he likes to fight, and I'm young and strong, but at the end of the day, he gotta worry about this guy in front of him, Chris Algieri. I think that's an interesting fight and he has to get pass that.
PC: Lucas Matthysse always seems to mention Danny Garcia's name when he has a microphone in his face. Is that a fight you would redo or does that fight not make sense to you at this stage in your career?
DG: You know what? I understand why he wants to fight me the most because I gave him his biggest payday on the biggest stage of his career. At the end of the day, boxing is about fighting the person that presents you the most amount of money and I represent that for him, but I gave him an opportunity when no one thought I would fight him. I gave him the opportunity to be a champion and he didn't take advantage of it. He fought Zab and had a chance to win that belt and he didn't win that. Zab beat him. That's just something he gotta get together. When he gets a chance to win a title, he gotta take advantage of it. Sometimes you only get that opportunity once and he's had it a couple of times already. I believe his fight with Devon Alexander was for a title as well. So he has to start capitalizing on some of these opportunities because for some people, they only come around once.
PC: I have talked to people in the industry that feel like you still haven't showcased your pure boxing ability. Do you feel that is the case or do you feel when it was called for, you have shown your full arsenal?
DG: I think I've shown it when I needed to and if I don't need to use it, then I don't have to. If I can go in there and knock a guy out, why would I go in there and try to box him? When I fought Matthysse, I knew I had to box, so I boxed him and I won the fight. And I think that's what makes me one of the most dangerous fighters in boxing. I'm the most balanced fighter and I got a great chin.
PC: We always talk about you not getting the level of respect that we thought you deserved. Now you're being mentioned in the same breath as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in terms of being in the ring with them and fans being interested in seeing you in the ring with them. Do you feel a turn in the sense of getting a little respect now?
DG: I mean, I'm building, I'm building. If you don't respect me, it probably means you don't like me. If you know boxing, you would respect me because you know what I have did in the 140-pound division and the names that I beat in the division. If you respect me and got love for me, I love you, but if you don't, just keep it moving. I'm not begging nobody to like me.
PC: In the perfect world, would your next fight be at 140 or 147?
DG: I would have to say in between. I don't want to just go right up. I'd like to do something in between, like at 143-144 area. Either I'm gonna defend my title, and most likely that's what it's gonna be, or I would love to go up. I feel real strong around that weight, between 144 and 147. But at the end of the day, it's what Al Haymon wants because I know he wants what's best for me and he knows what's best for me. So I'm not gonna change nothing. I'm gonna do what I always do, listen to my team, train, and go and fight.
PC: Are you trying to close out the year with something or just enjoy the holidays and waiting until 2015?
DG: I was hoping I was gonna get something at the end of the year, but I don't think it's looking that way, so I guess I'll be back early 2015.
PC: Bernard Hopkins will be just a few months away from his 50th birthday when he takes on Sergey Kovalev. How inspirational is that to you, not just the accomplishment, but him also being a fellow Philadelphia fighter?
DG: It's unbelievable, man. He's just a blessed person and a blessed athlete. I'm pretty sure if everybody could fight at 50, they would, but he's just a different kind of person. It's not just genetics with him though. He really works hard. I think a lot of people get that misunderstood thinking he just has experience and great genetics and thinking that's why he's beating these guys. He does have great experience, but Bernard is a disciplined athlete that works extremely hard and that's why he's a champion at his age.
PC: You recently got some autographed memorabilia from two Philadelphia Eagles, Shady McCoy and Jeremy Macklin. That's gotta rate high on the list.
DG: Yeah, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Macklin. Shady McCoy is actually a good friend of mine. We text all the time and he got me to play in his charity basketball game and we always talk here and there. I asked him was this the year the Eagles would win the Superbowl and he told me it is. It means a lot though. Things are just changing all around me. I got a lot of good friends that are doing their thing now. I was in Vegas at a Justin Bieber party chillin' with French Montana. I'm just blessed right now.
PC: I used to hear people say, "Be a fighter and not a rapper." I think the perception was that you were gonna start focusing too much on outside things and lose focus on the fight game.
DG: Well, I don't consider myself a rapper. Actually, I'm sitting in the studio right now. I got a studio where the gym is for my artists, but if I get bored, I just make a song. I'm not sitting here thinking about winning a Grammy or going platinum I just do it for fun as a hobby. I don't expect to make no money out of this unless one of my artists do.
PC: Fans think you guys walk around with boxing gloves on 24/7 and that you guys aren't allowed to have hobbies.
DG: The fans only know what I show them. I been in the gym this week, but I didn't put no pictures or video up saying that I was in the gym. They might think I'm partying and stuff, but I'm in the gym. I'm either helping out fighters or in the gym. I trained this week and nobody knows that because I didn't put no pictures up. I want people to think I'm not on my A game, but realistically, I'm always ready.
PC: On a lighter note, I got a hypothetical question for you. If Danny Garcia is fighting Floyd Mayweather, who has the better word play, Angel Garcia or Floyd Mayweather Sr.?
DG: Ah man, that's a good one because I'm not gonna lie, Floyd is funny, man. He's a funny dude and my dad, he's funny too, so I don't know, man. I think my dad is more real, so I'll have to give it to my dad.
PC: If the two sons are fighting in the ring, what happens? Could you be the first fighter to figure the puzzle out?
DG: I feel like I can beat anybody in boxing. That's why I'm in this sport. I never go into a fight thinking I'ma lose and that's why I'm a champion right now because I love boxing and I will always believe that I am the best, no matter what.
PC: I don't think I have ever asked you this, but who are some of the fighters you enjoy watching fight, or do you not watch a lot of boxing when you're not involved?
DG: Um...who do I like watching? Who do I enjoy? I'm a fan of boxing. I watch Friday Night Fights or if it's on Showtime or HBO. Any network that it's on, I watch it. I just like watching boxing. But I don't even watch my own fights, to be honest with you. I might see some highlights or something and keep it moving. I don't watch my own fights because I don't want to overwhelm myself with boxing. I just try to keep a balance and it is what it is.
PC: Before I let you go, I have another question for you on a lighter note. Since you are involved in music, can you recite the lyrics to the chorus for Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug's song "Lifestyle?"
DG: Ah man, it sound....[inaudible] beginning...(laughing). That's all I know.
PC: (Laughing) Good stuff my man. I appreciate the time and expect to see big things from the team closing out this year and next year. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
DG: Just let all of the fans know to stay tuned in and follow all of my social networks, Instagram and Twitter @DannySwiftGarcia and my Facebook fan page, which is Danny "Swift" Garcia, and visit my site www.dsgofficial.com. Follow me in between fights and heading into my next fight and I'll keep you up to date. 2015 is going to be a big year for me!
http://www.fighthype.com/news/article18279.html
