Trying to jump from 135 to 147,
you know, a task that, you know, hardly anybody ever thought it could happen.
Everybody thought I was just playing. I was not serious about that.
Everybody kept saying that I was never going to land that fight.
But that's exactly what I wanted. I wanted the toughest fight.
I had never wanted and pushed for a fight, in particular, as much as I did for this fight with Errol Spence.
For any boxer, any fighter, who has a certain weight class, you know?
You fight at a comfortable weight class where your body's natural adapting to that division.
I became champion 135 pounds.
O.K.
That seems to be a natural weight for me, 135 pounds, lightweight limit.
But when I made the decision to move to 147,
that's two divisions up. You're going from 135 all the way to 147.
All of a sudden, now the guys, the men there
are a lot bigger, naturally. More height, more reach, bigger frame.
They walk around probably about let's say 170.
On fight night they will rehydrate,
they get to eat, they get to drink fluids
and they hydrate again and they walk in the ring at around 160 pounds.
I won't be 160.
You know, I'll probably at 47, 49, right there.
But that's the challenge that I accepted, that's the challenge that I took, that's the challenge that I wanted.
To prove to everybody
that my boxing skills can overcome those size disadvantages.
My speed, my footwork, my counterpunch, my defense,
my boxing IQ, my timing, everything put together can overcome the size that these guys have over me.
I didn't choose a contender. I didn't choose an opponent at 47
I chose the Man at 47,
you know, the most feared man,
who many refer to as the boogie man
because a lot of other champions weren't willing to face him,
other champions were not willing to step in the ring with him.
And here I am
a lightweight, moving up to welterweight, you know?
And challenging him, directly.
No tune-up fight. No, you know, 147, you know,
testing the waters type of fight.
I'm going directly with the top guy.
So my dad asked, you know, why is it that I really want to do that?
And my answer was
you know, I won't gain the recognition, I won't gain the legacy,
I won't be regarded as, you know, the Man, unless I do this.
I want to be, you know, adding to my legacy.
I want to make history.
I want to leave my imprint, you know, in the sport.
I want to let everybody know that,
you know, there's a lot more that they had not seen in me, in my fights.
I'm here to risk it all.
I wanna be remembered as one of the greatest to do it.
And that's why I have to do these fights.
Set myself apart,
where people can really remember me, my name, Mikey Garcia.
Not just another champion that came by and went.