Mikey Garcia calls Errol Spence Jr. after the Easter victory

LOS ANGELES – Mikey Garcia won a win against Robert Easter on Saturday, unifying two lightweight titles and consolidating him as one of the world's best book-book-book fighters.

Errol Spence Jr.

Why, Mikey? Why follow a brilliant performance at 135 pounds by fighting with the young, hungry 147-pound bully on the block? This is not a revelation, of course. All week, Garcia told everyone with a microphone that he wanted a piece of Spence, the former 28-year-old US Olympic champion, with an unblemished professional record. It's not Garcia jumping two weight clbades to fight one of the best in the division. It's him who is looking for a fight with the best.

So why, Mikey? This is not a sports editor out of shape, out of shape stating that it's a bad idea. As Garcia told the Yahoo Sports Boxing Podcast this week, everyone in his family thinks that moving to welterweight is too much. His father, Eduardo, the patriarch of the big boxing family Garcia told him not to do it. His brother, Robert, a former incumbent and long-time coach of Garcia, said that it was a bad idea.

A few minutes before Garcia confronts Easter, Shawn Porter, arguably the most physical fighter at 147 pounds, was asked about Garcia

"Mikey is a great fighter," Porter told Yahoo Sports, smiling . "But I think he should try 140 pounds for a moment."

Garcia aspires to the greatest challenges. And it is admirable. But there is a challenge to 135 pounds that is equally formidable and could even represent more money: Vasiliy Lomachenko. Lomachenko – at worst, the co-pound-for-pound king, alongside Terence Crawford – holds some of the lightweight title. He is away, for the moment, from an injury to the shoulder, and when he returns, his promoter, Top Rank, has designated him for the fight of the next month against Ray Beltran-Jose Pedraza, which will give Lomachenko the chance to fight. crown of 135 pounds

Yes, Lomachenko is fighting for Top Rank, which is a few years from a bitter separation with Garcia. Lomachenko is also fighting on ESPN, while Garcia is fighting on Showtime. Yet it's exactly the level of combat that should bring fighters together, promoters together, even networks together. Recently, Robert Garcia trained fighters in Top Rank promoted shows. When asked by Yahoo Sports that he spoke to Garcia-Lomachenko of senior officials, Robert said that he had not spoken to CEO Bob Arum or President Todd duBoef, but he told Garcia that Garcia would win. fight. Still, Garcia-Lomachenko will only arrive, says Robert, "when he is too big not to do it."

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So why not try to make Garcia-Lomachenko? Garcia could return in the fall, possibly against Richard Commey, former title challenger, twice beaten, who will attempt to clinch his third consecutive victory next weekend. Lomachenko can face the winner of Beltran-Pedraza, and if both are unscathed, a showdown of Garcia-Lomachenko will appear in the spring as one of the biggest boxing fights – and arguably its most important.

Could Garcia face Lomachenko? to fight Spence? Maybe, but let's be realistic: if Garcia goes to 147 pounds, his days at 135 are over. Lomachenko's players have made it clear that Lomachenko – who had everything he could handle against Jorge Linares earlier this year – will not lose a pound above the lighter weight. If Garcia jumps, Garcia-Lomachenko disappears into the fantastic fight ether.

Garcia has another reason to avoid Spence: it's the kind of fight that could hurt his career forever. Too hyperbolic? Flashback in the summer of 2016. Kell Brook, a reigning welterweight champion, jumped on the opportunity to fight against Gennady Golovkin, the middleweight destroyer. For Brook, Golovkin was a challenge and a cargo of money. Brook faced Golovkin in September – and Golovkin broke his face. Brook's coach, Dominic Ingle, described Brook's injury – officially a broken orbit – similar to that suffered in a car accident. Brook described the operation as one where doctors literally removed his eye to fit a titanium plate

The Story Continues

In Brook's next fight, he lost against Spence. At 32, his days as an elite fighter could be over.

An edifying story? May be. Spence is not the Golovkin wild puncher, but he has tremendous power and knows how to use it. Garcia is a skillful defensive fighter, but he was before and admitted this week that against Sergey Lipinets, he felt the true power of 140 pounds

Spence? He likes fighting. Why not him? "I really do not see anything about myself," Spence said. "The welterweight division will be deep, but an injury to Keith Thurman and the next confrontation between Porter and Danny Garcia allowed Spence to look for an opponent. Mikey Garcia represents a big name for his resume – and a big payday for his bank account.

"It will be book-for-book # 1 if it beats me," Spence said. "But that will not happen."

Politics makes Spence-Garcia easy, but let's hope common sense prevails. Let's hope that Lomachenko – who dictates his Top Rank opponents more often than any fighter in his stable – pushes his promoter to make a deal with Garcia. Hope that Garcia will show patience for the end of the year. Spence-Garcia is a big fight. Garcia-Lomachenko is much bigger.

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