By Dan Ambrose: Mikey Garcia would like a world title shot against lightweight champions Devin Haney or George Kambosos Jr if they agree to give him a 12-week camp to prepare.
The former four-division world suffered a surprising 10 round majority decision two months ago against 140-lb fringe contender Sandor Martin on October 16th on DAZN.
Mikey (40-2, 30 KOs) says his training camp wasn’t the best for the fight, and it showed with the 28-year-old Spaniard Martin (39-2, 13 KOs) easily outboxing him in winning by the scores 97-93, 97-93 and 95-95.
Mikey, 33, says he would need more time to prepare for a fight with Haney or Kambosos, should they agree to fight him, because he would need to get his weight down to make the 135-lb limit.
In Mikey’s three fights at 147, he’s looked poor in losing to Errol Spence Jr, Sandor Martin, and winning a closer than expected 12 round majority decision against the washed-up Jessie Vargas.
Although Mikey hasn’t given up on the 140-lb division, he’s too small for that weight class as well. 135 is the only shot that Mikey has to rejuvenate his failing career, but it’s implausible that the champions Kambosos or Haney are going to throw a bone to him.
Mikey wants three months to prepare for Haney
“That’s something that could still happen,” said Mikey Garcia to Fighthype on a fight between him and Regis Prograis. “He’s developed more, and he’s matured more,” Mikey told about Devin Haney.
“He’s improving with every fight. Coming down to 135 would probably be difficult for me, so I don’t know. I’m not so sure,” said Mikey when asked if he’d be willing to challenge Haney for his WBC lightweight title.
“If that fight was offered for my next fight and I was able to secure that fight, then I would do it. I would need plenty of time to prepare and be in fight-ready shape. I haven’t discussed anything like that.
“If that was a fight that was offered to me and they asked me if I wanted that fight next for whatever else, he had nothing else available or whatever the reason may be, and they gave me enough time to do that.
“Enough time means three months for me to come down in weight and actually be in fight shape; yeah, I would definitely consider that fight. I would like that fight. That would be an interesting fight for me if I had the right amount of time.
“This last fight [against Sandor Martin] was at 145 and I did it at 143,” said Mikey about his October 16th fight. “It was only a four-week camp. It wasn’t even a camp because we didn’t even hire sparring partners to come to work. We just got to fight.
“It wasn’t the best decision, it wasn’t the best outcome, but you learn from all of that. So for this occasion [for a fight against Haney], I wouldn’t take it with a four-week notice. I would need to have at least ten or 12-week notice,” Mikey said.
Three months isn’t going to undo years of inactivity and weight gain for Mikey. He’s missed a lot of action in the last seven years, and he’s not going to be able to resurrect the fighter he’d been 3,000 yesterdays ago.
Kambosos fight interests Mikey
“Of course, a big fight, you’ll have plenty of time. I was surprised, [George] Kambosos surprised everybody,” said Mikey on Teofimo Lopez’s loss to George Kambosos on November 27th in an upset defeat at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“No one expected that at least I didn’t. That was the first time I’d seen Kambosos ever. I’ve seen highlights leading up to that, but I’d never seen him actually fight and look at that. He surprised everybody.
“He’s probably picking a bigger fight with Haney or something. I think that’s what they want to do,” said Mikey about Team Kambosos. “Hell yeah, I’d entertain that fight right away, but again, I’d need the time.
“I couldn’t take a fight like that without the training and without the time to get in shape,” said Mikey.
If Mikey could get a title shot against undisputed lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs), he’d make a lot of money in a stadium fight in Australia.
Kambosos aims for the higher-hanging fruit against Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Mikey’s years of inactivity and his lack of success since making the ill-fated move up to 147 has hurt his popularity, and he’s not going to be able to get a crack at a world title against Kambosos or Haney unless those guys are desperate.