Right after Danny Garcia won his unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero on Saturday night in Los Angeles, Guerrero was adamant he wanted a rematch.
Garcia vs Guerrero highlights: January 23, 2016
It might be a long wait.
By claiming a 147-pound world title with the victory, Danny Garcia has intriguing options in front of him. A mandatory title defense against Amir Khan is on the table. And the winner of the Keith Thurman-Shawn Porter blockbuster would line up just about perfectly for a scrap in late summer.
Robert Guerrero’s turn seems more a question of “if” and not “when.”
“I don't want to take no steps back in my career,” Garcia said. “I beat him fair and square all around the board, so I feel like I'm on to the next step.”
Right now, Garcia is resting up in his Philadelphia home, giving his bruises and scrapes a couple of weeks to heal. Then it’s back to the gym, ready to resume a champion’s burden of proving that the division must, by all accounts, run through him.
“If I didn't win the title, it would be a major setback in my career,” Garcia said. “Nobody would have taken me seriously in the welterweight division. This is very important for me to go out there and show the world I'm one of the top welterweights out there.”
Not that Garcia expected any other outcome. He had a pint-size belt made up for 5-month-old daughter Philly Swift Garcia that was ready to deploy the moment the decision was read.
Garcia's victory, of course, meant the clock started ticking on a mandatory title defense against Khan.
“At the end of the day, it's really up to my management team,” Garcia said. “It's up to my handlers. If they come back and say it's Amir Khan, then it's Amir Khan. I beat him one time and I'll beat him again. My style is a nightmare for him. I'm a two-fisted puncher, I'm a counterpuncher and I come forward. He has problems with fighters like me.
"As you can see in the [Chris] Algieri fight, the Julio Diaz fight, there are fighters who come forward who gave him a lot of problems. And those fighters ain't me. My style is made to beat him any day.”
Then there’s the March 12 Thurman-Porter showdown. Garcia hasn’t decided yet if he’s going to make the short trek from Philadelphia to Uncasville, Connecticut, for the fight, but regardless, he’ll be very interested in the outcome.
The winner, of course, will control another piece of the 147-pound puzzle, meaning a title unification fight with Garcia afterward could push the division closer to an undisputed champion.
“I've seen those guys fight a lot of times before in their careers,” Garcia said. “I saw them come up. I was a champion way before those guys. I've kept a close eye on those guys already. I think it's an interesting matchup, and may the best man win.”
For a complete recap of Garcia vs Guerrero, make sure to check out our fight page.
After winning their 147-pound title fight Saturday in Los Angeles, Danny Garcia doesn't see a rematch with Robert Guerrero in the future. (Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions)
