
Two-division world champion of Puerto Rican roots Danny “Swift” Garcia will make his super welterweight debut against contender Jose Benavidez Jr. in a 12-round showdown on Saturday, July 30.
Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs), a world champion at 140 and 147 pounds, possesses one of the most impressive resumes in the sport as he now looks to add a 154-pound title to his list of accomplishments.
He will return to fight at Barclays Center for the ninth time, where he headlined the first boxing show at the arena in 2012 in his Showtime debut.
The Philadelphia fighters charge through the super lightweight division saw him take down a number of champions, including Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt.
As a welterweight, the 34-year-old fighter added wins over Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero. Garcia’s welterweight campaign included narrow losses to some of the sport’s toughest and most talented fighters: Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter and undefeated unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
“I feel blessed,” Garcia said. “I’m back like I never left. I can’t wait to get back in the ring in front of the fans at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, who have always supported me, and for all my fans across the country who watch on Showtime. The ‘Danny Garcia Show’ returns on July 30 and you won’t want to miss it!”
The 30-year-old Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KOs) is the older brother of undefeated two-time world champion David Benavidez and is trained by dad, José Sr. A long-established contender, Benavidez rose to super Welterweight in his last fight after losing a 147-pound title showdown to Terence Crawford in October 2018.
Benavidez fought Francisco Emanuel Torres to a draw last November, his first action in just over three years. The Phoenix man had previously picked up wins over the likes of Mauricio Herrera, Francisco Santana and Frank Rojas on his way to that world title shot against Crawford.
“This is a matchup between Mexico and Puerto Rico and we both have something to prove,” Benavídez said. “It’s going to be a great fight for the fans. I feel strong and I know I will finish this on fight night. I am bigger and stronger than him and on July 30 you will see the power difference between us.”
This fight is organized by Premier Boxing Champions and will be televised on Showtime.
The telecast will also see Polish star Adam Kownacki of Brooklyn return to the ring to take on Turkish Olympian Ali Eren Demirezen, in a 10-round heavyweight attraction, while undefeated rising star Gary Antuanne Russell takes on two-division champion Rances Barthelemy in a 10-round showdown to kick off the telecast.
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