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Danny Garcia vs. Brandon Rios Odds and Prediction

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Two division world champion Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia makes his long awaited return against former world champion Brandon ‘Bam Bam’ Rios in a welterweight showdown on February 17th, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada presented by the Premier Boxing Champions.

Much Needed Break

Garcia took a much needed break from boxing after his split decision loss to Keith Thurman last March 4th. The 29-year old Garcia reigned as world champion for six years and faced 10 world champions in his last 14 fights. In his 5 welterweight bouts, Garcia faced four world champions.

Garcia was unified champion at 140 pounds and has fought and defeated the likes of Erik Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont Peterson. He was the WBC 147-pound champion before losing the belt to Thurman in a unification bout.

Coming From Retirement

Rios himself has fought some of this generation’s best welterweights including Timothy Bradley Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Bam Bam won the world title at 140 pounds and figured in a storied rivalry with Mike Alvarado which brought us some of the most exciting bouts we’ve ever seen.

Bam Bam has split his last six bouts but is coming off a win over Aaron Herrera. Rios retired after losing to Bradley in 2015 but returned 19 months later to face Herrera. He didn’t look too rusty in his return, winning by 7th round KO. But facing Garcia is another story. A win would put him back on the map while a loss should mean the end of Rios career.

No Problem

Danny Garcia is the heavy betting favorite here at -1600 while Rios is the underdog at +650. Rios used to be one of the most exciting fighters in the business. He is always willing to take punishment in order to land his power shots. Sometimes, he makes his fights interesting by allowing himself to take a pounding.

But the wear and tear of a long and hard fought career has caught up with him and he simply isn’t the same exciting fighter that we used to adore. Even before his career went on a downslide, Rios struggled against quality opponents and wore down as the fight went on. Having said that, Danny Garcia should have no problem with him.

Just A Shell

Rios plodding style makes him a sitting duck target for an accurate puncher like Danny Garcia. Swift should have little or no problem in getting the kind of offense that he wants in this fight. He could even score a big knockout win here if he pressures Rios round after round.

While he still has the warrior inside of him, Rios is just a shell of his old self. This is a smart choice for Danny Garcia who obviously wants to look good after losing his last fight to Keith Thurman. His detractors don’t like his choice of opponent but if there is one foe who can make DSG look good, it’s Rios. We’re picking Danny Garcia to win by a wide unanimous decision or late stoppage.

Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia Slated For March 2017

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Danny Garcia is “gift”, no more.

After years of being mocked as ‘gift’ because of winning controversial decisions and fighting lesser known foes, Philly’s Danny “Swift” Garcia stepped up to the plate when he agreed to fight WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time”” Thurman next year:

https://twitter.com/keithfthurmanjr/status/787000095283695618

Stepping Up to The Plate

WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia has been labeled a cherry picker for fighting lesser known opponents. On Wednesday, that label may have been erased after PBC spokesman Tim Smith told media that Garcia has signed on a deal that would pit him against fellow unbeaten champion Keith Thurman in a title unification bout which could very well be the biggest match-up Al Haymon’s PBC will have ever put up.

Thurman is one of the division most feared punchers with his 27-0, 22 KOs record. One time is coming off a unanimous decision win over former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter last June. Prior to his win over Porter, Thurman had five successful title defenses under his belt.

Gifted Not Gift

Danny Garcia burst into the boxing spotlight with back to back wins over Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales. Then the unified 140-pound champion, Garcia sent Morales to permanent retirement in their second bout, knocking out El Terrible in 4 rounds.

He followed up that victory with impressive wins over Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse. However, controversial wins over Mauricio Herrera and Lamont Peterson plus a fight over the overmatched Rod Salka led to him being called ‘Gift”.

But Garcia is more than that. He’s one of the most gifted fighters in the business with his combination of speed, skill and power. Perhaps he was just looking for the right fight at the right time. A title unification bout with Thurman would be big. In fact, it would be the biggest welterweight match-up since Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Tune-Up Bout

Before these bg names collide though, Danny Garcia will be having a tune-up bout against Samuel Vargas on November 12th. According to PBC spokesman Smith, Garcia is taking the fight in order to keep himself in the best physical and mental state while waiting for the Thurman bout. On the other hand, Thurman isn’t expected to have a tune-up bout.

While IBF Kell Brook and up and rising star Errol Spence entering the picture, boxings welterweight division remains one of its best despite the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr. The winner of the Thurman-Garcia bout is likely going to be the Alpha Male of the division until he fights either Spence or Brook.