Home Boxing News Hector Luis Garcia wants unification bout after Lamont Roach title defence

Hector Luis Garcia wants unification bout after Lamont Roach title defence

Hector Luis Garcia

WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia 16-1 (10) says he has only grown as a boxer since winning the world title against Roger Gutierrez 27-5-1 (21) by unanimous decision in August last year.

The 32-year-old Dominican southpaw will make the maiden defence of his title against Lamont Roach 23-1-1 (9) at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 25.

Back in January Garcia jumped up to lightweight to take on fellow lefty Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 29-0 (27), a bout he lost by ninth-round knockout.

Garcia says it was a learning experience and insists the lone blemish on his resume has not dented his confidence.

“I feel in tip top shape. I fought at the beginning of the year and I feel like I am ready to go on November 25,” Garcia said.

“You can expect the best of me, like always. I am going to focus on not letting that loss get the best of me. I am going to focus on being positive, having positive thoughts and going after the win.

“I learned a lot from the Gervonta Davis fight. But there is only one Gervonta Davis, so I know that I am not going to lose like that again. I always take the positives out of a fight and having fought on a pay-per-view main event allowed me to grow and I learned a lot from the entire experience.

“Congratulations to Lamont on his mindset. I’m glad that he has such confidence and such a positive mindset that he thinks he’s going to stop me. Good for you. But I talk inside the ring, not outside of it. You will see.

“Lamont Roach, like most American fighters, likes to talk. That’s his thing. My responsibility is to defend my title and exit the ring as the champion. That’s what I’m going to focus on. I prefer to do my talking inside the ring and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

“More than anything, I’m going to prove that what happened against Gervonta Davis was a fluke and it’s never going to happen again. No excuses.

“Lamont will not be the toughest opponent that I’ve ever had, not by a long shot. Roger Gutierrez is better than him. Chris Colbert was way better than him. Lamont has earned this opportunity and I don’t take that away from him, but Gutierrez, Colbert and, of course, Gervonta Davis are all better than him. I don’t consider him my toughest opponent at all.

“I feel equally fine at either 130 or 135 pounds. The plan is to defend the title on November 25 and then hopefully unify afterwards. Then, if the opportunity comes to fight at 135, then I will gladly do so. But the goal right now is to defend the title.

“The past is in the past and now I’m ready to redeem myself and go for it all.”