Former two-weight world champion Danny Garcia will look to bounce back from his loss to Errol Spence Jr. last time out as he squares off with Jose Benavidez Jr. over 12 rounds at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this Saturday.
This content is brought to you by Pulseroll, leading innovators in muscle recovery equipment. Visit their website today to see how you can improve your recovery game.
Garcia picked up his first world title in the super lightweight division in 2012. Garcia would square off with the legendary Erik Morales in his 22nd fight. Morales would miss weight meaning only Garcia could win the WBC belt and he did so in style, as he dropped Morales in the 11th round on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Garcia was keen to instantly unify, so would face WBA champion Amir Khan next. Khan was the favourite but Garcia ripped up the script and knocked Khan out in four rounds to become the unified champion.
Garcia would next make a statement, as Morales challenged him to a rematch, but Garcia would dispatch him in four rounds. Successful decision victories over Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse and Mauricio Herrera followed as successful defences of his belt. Garcia would compete in catchweight bouts in his next two, as he would knock Rod Salka out before getting a majority decision over Lamont Peterson. Garcia would now pursue gold at welterweight, with his first bout coming against Paulie Malignaggi. Garcia would stop Malignaggi in nine rounds as a world title shot waited for him. Garcia would face Robert Guerrero next for the vacant WBC welterweight title. This was the fight that crowned Garcia a two-weight world champion as he defeated Guerrero by unanimous decision. Garcia would fight a ten-rounder next, but only needed seven of those rounds as he stopped Samuel Vargas. A unification bout would come next as WBA champion Keith Thurman would be the man standing across the ring from Garcia. A close fight played out, but this would be the first loss on Garcia's record as he would be on the wrong end of a split decision. Garcia would bounce back 11 months later, producing a brutal knockout victory over Brandon Rios.
A shot at the vacant WBC world title against Shawn Porter was what came next, and Porter would inflict the second blemish on Garcia's record, as Garcia would be beaten by unanimous decision. Keen to re-enter the WBC rankings, Garcia would compete for the vacant WBC Silver title against Adrian Granados, a fight in which Garcia returned to winning ways by stopping Granados in seven rounds. A defence of the silver belt over Ivan Redkach would set up another world title shot. Errol Spence Jr. would be the man with the titles in Garcia's next bout, and the belts would stay with Spence Jr. as Garcia would be on the end of a unanimous decision loss.
Benavidez Jr. would have 20 bouts before he would pick up a title. His 21st bout saw him pick up the vacant North American super lightweight title as he would knock Henry Auraad out in one round. Benavidez Jr. would pick up a WBA 'interim' world title at super lightweight next, as he would get the better of Mauricio Herrera over 12 rounds. A successful defence followed as Benavidez Jr. would dispatch Jorge Paez Jr. in the 12th round of their fight.
Benavidez opted to switch up to welterweight, and in his first fight at that weight, he would pick up a unanimous decision over Sidney Siqueira. A unanimous decision victory over Francisco Santana came next, before an eighth-round knockout of Matthew Strode. A world title shot seemed on the horizon, but Benavidez Jr. would have to come through Frank Rojas first. He did so in fine fashion as Benavidez Jr. would stop Rojas in one round. Benavidez Jr. would get his world title shot next, as he would face WBO welterweight champion, Terence Crawford. Benavidez Jr. was game, but Crawford's class shone through as Benavidez Jr. would be dealt the first loss of his career as he was stopped in the 12th round. After a three-year hiatus following the Crawford bout, Benavidez Jr. would return to the ring. However, it didn't go as planned as he was held to a draw by Francisco Torres.
Garcia and Benavidez Jr. will lock horns this Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will be shown live on Showtime in the US.