Mikey Garcia

Early life and education

Miguel Angel's father, Eduardo, was an amateur boxer and trainer of world champion boxer Fernando Vargas at La Colonia Youth Boxing Club. His older brother, Roberto was a professional boxer and a former IBF Super Featherweight Champion who lost his belt to the late Diego Corrales. His oldest brother, Daniel, was a boxer and trainer. Miguel Angel graduate from Ventura County Police Academy. He has been featured on ABC's show American Latino TV and he talked about balancing studies with the demands of boxing. Garcia said that he grew up in a "gang-related neighborhood" in Oxnard, California. Garcia said that his father immigrated from Mexico, and Garcia said that his parents were both strawberry pickers.

Garcia said that he does not consider himself to be very religious, but Garcia said that he believes that there is a God. Garcia said that he believes that God performs miracles. Garcia said that he believes that people make their own decisions, and Garcia said that he believes that when people make their own decisions it is not God controlling it.

Amateur career

Garcia started his amateur career at the age of fourteen. In 2003, he won a silver medal at the National Junior Olympic Championships in the 125 lb division. In 2004, he won a gold medal at the National Junior Golden Gloves Championships and a silver medal at the National Police Athletic League Championships, both in the 132 lb division. In 2005, he won a bronze medal at the National Golden Gloves Championships and a gold medal at the National Police Athletic League Championships, both in the 132 lb division.

Amateur highlights

Early career

García is known as a patient fighter with good punching power, a natural right-hander who likes to switch to southpaw during some of his fights. He turned pro in 2006 and signed with Bob Arum's Top Rank. Garcia was undefeated in his first 20 professional fights, winning them all with 17 of them coming by way of knockout.

In April 2010, Miguel Ángel beat the veteran Tomas Villa by T.K.O. in the first round, to win the USBA Featherweight Championship. He then beat Matt Remillard to win the WBO NABO Featherweight Championship. This would not only be the last boxing bout but also the last event Nick Charles would broadcast, Charles would die a few days later from cancer.

In his next fight HBO asked García to turn down a world title shot against Billy Dib to fight on the undercard of Julio César Chávez, Jr. vs. Sebastian Zbik. After his win over Rafaël Guzmán, García sent his well wishes to Genaro Hernández who was struggling with cancer, Hernández would die a few days later. Months later he beat Juan Carlos Martinez in under four rounds at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

García vs. Salido

Garcia's first major step up in competition came on January 19, 2013 against WBO Featherweight champion and Ring No. 1 ranked Featherweight, Orlando Salido. Garcia dominated the bout from the very beginning, keeping Salido at range with the jab. Garcia knocked Salido down four times early on in the fight, building up a large lead on the scorecards. During the 8th round, Salido accidentally clashed heads with Garcia, causing Garcia's nose to break. The fight was stopped between rounds, with the decision going to the scorecards. Garcia won a wide unanimous decision, to win his first world title.

Garcia vs Lopez

Garcia was scheduled to make his first title defense against Juan Manuel Lopez in Dallas on June 15, 2013. Garcia failed to make 126 lb weight limit coming in two pounds overweight. He was stripped of the title. The fight went ahead after Garcia paid Lopez a penalty of $150,000 for missing weight. Garcia won the fight with a fourth round knockout.

Garcia vs. Martinez

Garcia challenged Puerto Rican WBO junior lightweight champion Rocky Martinez for Martinez's title on November 9, 2013 in his first fight since failing to make weight and having to relinquish his featherweight title. Garcia went down in the second round from a Martinez counter right hand. Garcia, however, recovered and dominated the rest of the fight before knocking out Martinez with a left hook to the body in the eighth round. The victory meant Garcia is the 130 lbs WBO champion.

Garcia vs. Burgos

On January 25, 2014, Garcia made his first title defense against mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Burgos at Madison Square Garden in New York City on HBO Boxing After Dark. After being staggered in the second round, Garcia took control of the fight and won close to every round for the remainder of the bout. At the end of the fight, Garcia won via unanimous decision (118-110, 118-110, 119-109), improving to 34-0. In the post fight interview, Garcia called out Yuriorkis Gamboa for a potential fight.

Contract dispute

Garcia had been unhappy over his purses, which had been increasing to career-high six-figure levels fight after fight, sued Top Rank in 2014 to get out of the agreement, and the parties had been fighting it until 2016. Although in arbitration with his promoter, Garcia has expressed plans of returning to the ring under a new contract with Top Rank. On April 8, 2016, it was confirmed that Garcia and Top Rank, who where locked in a dispute over his promotional contract, had reached a settlement, according to Bob Arum. Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com. "All parties came to a mutual agreement, details of that agreement are a confidential matter. We all move on and do what we do." Although Garcia's Top Rank contract was up in August, they reached a deal and are in the process of putting it to paper.

Garcia vs. Rojas

Top Rank announced on June 28, 2016, after 2 and a half years off, Garcia would be returning to the boxing ring against former world featherweight titleholder Elio Rojas on July 30 on Showtime in a 10 round bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the undercard of Santa-Cruz-Frampton. This would be a one-fight deal with promoter Lou DiBella and Showtime. They met at approximately 138 pounds. The weight had not been contractually hashed out, however Garcia planned to move down with the hopes of challenging for a world title in the 135-pound lightweight division. Garcia scored four knockdowns, before finishing Rojas in the 5th round via knockout. Garcia hit Rojas face-first with a left hand and dropping him with a right uppercut-left hook combination. Rojas, who was only fighting for the second time in four years, beat the count, but referee Claudio waved it off at 2 minutes, 2 seconds.

Garcia vs. Zlatičanin

Garcia announced he would be fighting at lightweight to challenge undefeated WBC champion Dejan Zlatičanin (22-0, 15 KOs). Zlatičanin claimed the vacant title by knocking out Franklin Mamani in June and also holds decision victories over the likes of Petr Petrov and former multiple weight world champion Ricky Burns. The fight would take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and again serve as a co-feature to the anticipated rematch between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz on January 28, 2017. Garcia stopped Zlatičanin in round three to win the title and give Zlaticanin his first professional defeat. The end came after Garcia hit a two punch combination starting with an uppercut which led Zlatičanin open for a final right hook which dropped him backwards on the floor, a knockout of the year candidate. The referee stopped the fight immediately. Garcia became a three-weight world champion with this knockout win. Garcia's purse for the fight was $375,000 compared to the $320,000 that Zlatičanin received. In the post fight interview, Garcia said that he would like to unify the division and also mentioned fighting undefeated Terence Crawford at light welterweight.

Summit for brain health

In February 2014, Garcia along with Bernard Hopkins and a few other athletes attended a summit at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health at the United States Capitol, in support of furthering research of preventing brain damage and other mental risk in competitive activity. The summit consisted of speeches about preventing brain damage and research to aid already suffering victims.