Robert Garcia: Mikey knows he’s gonna beat Errol Spence

Badlefthook.com

Robert Garcia gives us an update on Mikey Garcia’s preparation for his March 16 fight against welterweight champion Errol Spence. Check out what Garcia had to say about getting Mikey ready for this jump in weight…

Robert Garcia on how his brother Mikey is coming along in training:

“Look, training’s going well. He’s already in the gym sparring. He spent five weeks in Nothern California with [Victor] Conte and he’s solid, he’s strong. I feel it, his speed is great, and he’s still doing everything that Conte told him to do.

“Actually they sent somebody, somebody’s here working with Mikey twice a week and taking vitamins, whatever Conte advises us to do. So even though Conte’s not here, he’s still doing everything that Conte is telling us to do. So we’re in great shape. Mikey’s already training, already sparring, and looking really good.”

On any concerns about Spence likely outweighing Garcia in the ring by a considerable margin:

“Look, last week mikey started sparring. Just four rounds but one of my guys that I actually have sparring with Jose Ramirez — John Bauza. He’s a good lefty that Top Rank just signed. You know, I’m managing him and I brought him in to spar with Jose but I put him in with Mikey, just to start getting his rhythm. Today we get a guy in that’s a welterweight and next week we start with Alexis Rocha who is a solid welterweight, so we’re gonna have three guys already.

“And then the following two weeks to close up camp we’re gonna have Esquiva Falcao who’s a 160-pounder who I think is probably gonna be the best sparring Mikey could have. You know, we’re gonna need to feel that power, that weight, that fighter in front of you that’s not gonna move back when you land and keep coming. So that’s what we need for Mikey and that’s gonna be Esquiva Falcao.”

On what impressions he’s been getting from Mikey about his feelings on the fight:

“Look, sometimes I don’t want him to be too sure and too comfortable, you know? He’s training hard and everything but he’s so confident that he’s gonna beat Spence. You know, we know the fight’s tough — me and my dad know the fight’s tough — and it just won’t be easy but Mikey’s so confident and so sure that he’s gonna have no problems beating Spence. But that’s one thing that I don’t want him to just so comfortable where he doesn’t do things right. We’re still pushing him to do everything right, we’re still pushing him to do the running in the morning, to work those two days a week with Conte’s guy, and obviously to do the sparring that we need him to do.

“We’re gonna push him to do that because he needs to be in great shape to be ready to challenge somebody like Spence. You know, that’s the only thing: I don’t want him to feel too confident or think it’s gonna be an easy fight, because it definitely won’t.”

On what makes Mikey so confident:

“Well he’s confident ‘cause he knows inside he’s gonna win. He knows he’s gonna win. Just like every other fight that he’s fought — he goes in there very confident. That’s good to be, it’s good to have that mentality, but against somebody like Spence — Mikey has to know it’s a dangerous fight. So ‘I gotta be careful, I gotta fight smart.’ Even though he already does, but in other fights he goes in there more sure that he’s gonna have no problems. In this fight he’s gotta know he’s gonna have problems, so I don’t want to go in there thinking like that.”