Undefeated lightweight champion Mikey Garcia 39-0 (30) has given the clearest indication yet that he plans to move up two weight classes to challenge IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr 24-0 (21) with the news this week that he has vacated his IBF 135-pound world title.
Garcia, who also holds the WBC lightweight title, was scheduled to participate in a purse bid for his mandatory IBF title defence against Richard Commey 27-2 (24) on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Garcia of Moreno Valley, California confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday afternoon that he had divested himself of the 135-pound world title.
“Yes, I vacated,” said Garcia, who has won world titles across four weight classes. “I just didn’t have enough time to negotiate the Commey fight in the time the IBF required so I needed to vacate. I have a lot of options but the fight with Spence is the fight I want.”
Negotiations for Garcia’s audacious 12-pound jump in weight to face Spence are continuing behind closed doors with a February or March pay-per-view date believed to be the preferred option.
“The IBF was pushing for the Commey fight ASAP but with the WBC I have more time to decide what I want to do,” continued Garcia.
“But I’m looking for bigger fights. We have options and I just couldn’t get excited for the Richard Commey fight and the timing [the IBF] required to get it done was not enough time to negotiate considering the other options I have.”
Richard Schaefer of Ringstar Sports, who works with Garcia, said 28-year-old Texan Spence is interested in the fight but cautioned that the deal is far from being finalised.
“I met with Mikey and the fact is Mikey is not the kind of guy to say something for the heck of it,” Schaefer said.
“When he said he wanted to fight Spence and that it was the fight that motivated him and excited him, he was serious. He takes pride in winning these world titles, but if you are one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world you want these big events and big challenges.
“For Mikey to get motivated after already having achieved so much, he really wants to test himself. He wants to dare to be great and the fight with Spence is the fight he told me he wants to pursue and that’s the fight we are pursuing.”
Schaeffer continued: “The fight is being discussed but there are a lot of things that need to be addressed. There are ongoing conversations but Mikey’s statement in vacating the IBF belt is, ‘Hey, I want that big challenge, I want Spence.’ That’s the statement. And so now it’s a matter to see if in fact it can be done. But it’s not like it’s going to be announced next week.”
Meanwhile the 31-year-old Commey of Ghana will get the opportunity to compete for the vacant IBF lightweight title against 25-year-old Russian contender Isa Chaniev 13-1 (6). If an agreement between Commey promoter Lou DiBella and Chaniev promoter World of Boxing cannot be reached by November 30, the IBF will order a purse bid.
 has given the clearest indication yet that he plans to move up two weight classes to challenge IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr 24-0 (21) with the news this week that he has vacated his IBF 135-pound world title.){kind=link}