Garcia beats up Granados, leads Pacquiao fight derby

American Danny Garcia says he hopes he ‘didn’t scare’ the Filipino boxing icon away
GUESSING GAME. It is still unknown who Manny Pacquiao will face in his next fight in July. File photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines – Consider Danny Garcia as the new pacesetter in Manny Pacquiao’s next fight derby.
Garcia battered Adrian Granados throughout en route to a seventh-round knockout Saturday night, April 20 (Sunday, April 21, Manila time), at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
With the breezy victory, the former two-division world champion Garcia pulled ahead of World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Keith Thurman, who was unimpressive in posting a majority decision over Josesito Lopez last January 26.
In earlier reports, Sean Gibbons, Pacquiao’s matchmaker, said Thurman and Garcia are the strongest candidates to be the eight-division world champion’s next opponent in July in the United States.
The 31-year-old Garcia hinted of things to come when he knocked down Granados twice in the 2nd round – the first with a crackling left to the jaw and the second via a right straight.
Granados gamely fought on, but was felled again with a combination by Garcia in the 5th round.
The referee finally called a halt to the beating when Garcia (35-2, 21 knockouts) was pummeling Granados (20-7-2, 13 KOs) at the ropes.
In the post-fight interview, Garcia (35-2, 21 knockouts), called out Pacquiao, who is in Japan to honor a promotional contract with Rizin Fight Federation.
“I hope I didn’t scare him (Pacquiao) away,” said Garcia. “Definitely, I would love [that] fight.”
Garcia added that he is willing to settle for former tormentors Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) and Shawn Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) as well as International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr (25-0, 21 KOs) if Pacquiao walks away. – Rappler.com