Erislandy Lara looks to add to legacy with win against Danny Garcia

Erislandy Lara is working feverishly toward making it four consecutive knockout victories when he takes on Danny Garcia in the co-feature of PBC’s Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga pay-per-view airing on Amazon’s Prime Video on Saturday, September 14 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Lara, 41, who holds the WBA middleweight title, expects a tough fight against Garcia, 36, the former lineal junior welterweight champion and welterweight titleholder.

“Danny Garcia is a great fighter, a multiple-division world champion, and like me, he’s one of the best fighters of this generation,” said Lara. “This is going to be the fight of the night. I knocked out my last three opponents, and I’m training to make it four. 

“This is going to be a tough fight “I know that. But every fight at the championship level is tough and has its challenges. I’m preparing hard for Danny and I believe that my experience fighting at this weight will be an advantage.”

Nicknamed “The American Dream,” Cuba’s Lara and Garcia of Philadelphia were originally expected to meet in August 2023, but that fell through.

Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs) moved up to 160 pounds three years ago after an extended stay at junior middleweight. Since moving to middleweight, he has recorded KOs over Thomas LaManna, Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, and Michael Zerafa. On Sept. 14, the Cuban looks forward to maintaining his status as boxing’s oldest champ today. 

“I’m very happy with the work I’ve been putting in during this training camp,” Lara said. “We’ve had a lot of time to work on fighting Danny Garcia and we’re prepared for what he brings. He’s a very powerful puncher with both hands, so I’ve had to tighten up and make a few adjustments on my defense. My focus is why I can keep performing at this level again and again. I’m going to be in tremendous shape like I always am and I’ll be ready for anything he does in the ring.”

This will be Lara’s second appearance on the traditional pay-per-view coinciding with Mexican Independence Day weekend. Back in September 2009, Lara earned a first- round KO of Jose Varela on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez undercard.   

“It’s a great honor to be fighting on Mexican Independence Day weekend, especially against a great Puerto Rican champion in Danny Garcia,” Lara said. “I’ll be fighting not only for my Cuban fans, but also for the Mexican fans that will be tuning in. It’s going to be a great fight for everyone watching, no matter where you’re from.”

Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is expected to make his first appearance at 160, having moved up from welterweight to junior middleweight after losing to Errol Spence Jr. back in 2020. Garcia’s sole fight at 154 was a majority decision victory over Jose Benavidez Jr. two years ago. He hasn’t fought since — inactivity Lara wants to exploit when they go toe-to-toe next month.

Lara is hopeful a win over Garcia could add to his legacy after he retires.

“I feel I’ve done a lot in this sport, and a win versus Danny Garcia will add another big triumph against a former world champion,” said Lara. “I’ve fought the best and have never turned down an opportunity to fight anyone. My goal is to one day be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and I’m going to keep working to reach it.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].