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Garcia eager for fourth Barclays boxing bout

Philly Pugilist to Take on Peterson, April 11, in Downtown Brooklyn

March 25, 2015 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia beat Brooklyn’s Zab Judah at the Barclays Center nearly two years ago in his second appearance at the venue, which will be hosting its 11th boxing card on April 11. Photo credit: HoganPhotos/SHOWTIME
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He opened the joint with a big win and keeps coming back for more.

Philadelphia native Danny “Swift” Garcia, the unified super lightweight champion of the world, will take a perfect record into his April 11 bout with Lamont Peterson at Downtown’s Barclays Center, where he has emerged victorious in his previous three visits.

“It’s an honor to be fighting back in Brooklyn where I’ve experienced some of the best moments of my career,” said Garcia, who boasts a thus-far-unblemished 29-0 mark in the squared circle, including 17 knockouts.

“Fans have been asking for this fight for so long, and on April 11, I’m planning on giving them the show they’ve been waiting for,” added Garcia, who scored a second-round knockout of Rod Salka here in August during his last visit.

Garcia, who headlined the first of 11 boxing cards held at Barclays with a fourth-round stoppage of Mexican fight legend Erik Morales on Oct. 20, 2012, also posted a unanimous decision triumph over Brooklyn’s own Zab Judah on the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues on April 27, 2013.

That makes him 3-for-3 at Barclays, and while he always represents the City of Brotherly Love and his family’s Puerto Rican heritage, there is no doubting his ever-growing popularity in Brooklyn.

“Obviously we’re thrilled to have Danny Garcia back in our building,” Barclays CEO Brett Yormark noted in a conference call earlier this week. “The Barclays Center has truly become his home away from home … Danny Garcia always brings excitement to our ring.”

The bout with Peterson, which will be televised live on NBC, could set Garcia up for a matchup against the two most important fighters in the world at the moment, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather, who will square off against one another in May.

Especially considering Garcia’s ever-growing resume of victories in big bouts, including his stunning September 2013 upset of heavily favored Lucas Matthysse, as well as his triumphs over Morales, Amir Khan and Judah.

But Garcia, who always manages to keep a moderate profile while allowing his dad to contend with much of the hype surrounding a big fight, has gotten this far by concentrating solely on the opponent at hand, rather than the one who might be waiting for him down the road.

“You know, right now I have to just stay focused on April 11,” Garcia insisted. “I’m not really worried about what’s going to happen next.  Either I’m going to defend [my titles] in the summer time or like you said, vacate them [for an opportunity to fight at a higher weight class]. Right now, it’s Lamont Peterson at 143 pounds April 11, and all I can say is its going to be a great fight, a tremendous fight.”

Peterson (33-2-1, 17 KOs) is no stranger to the big stage, having vanquished Khan in 2011 before losing via knockout to Matthysse in 2013, several months before Garcia defeated the Argentine. He and Garcia will meet at a catch weight of 143 pounds.

“This is an amazing opportunity for me fighting in Brooklyn and on national TV in front of millions of people,” said Peterson. “I’m going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime. Danny Garcia better not underestimate me, because my time is now.”

“If you look in my career, I never turned an opponent down,” added Garcia, who will put his belts on the line next Saturday night. “The fans wanted it; the media wanted it and it’s a great fight.”

There will also be some hometown flavor in the ring April 11 as Manhattan’s Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, already the winner of two Barclays bouts, looks to improve to 32-0 overall against middleweight champ Andy Lee in his first fight since vacating his own middleweight title last September.

“To be able to fight at home in Brooklyn and win a title on such a big stage is a dream come true,” said Quillin. “I’m honored and excited to be a part of something that is great for my career, but also for the sport of boxing as a whole. I know that I’m going to win on April 11, become champion once again, and then I’m going after anyone and everyone at 160 pounds.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are
priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now.

Tickets are available at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.

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