With just days to go until their respective bouts, fighters on the "Danny Garcia vs. Rod Salka" fight card hosted a final press conference Thursday at Barclays Center before they fight this Saturday, August 9.
Here is what the Garcia's father and trainer, Angel, had to say Thursday:
ANGEL GARCIA, Garcia's Father & Trainer
"Danny is ready. We had a 100% camp. In sparring he wasn't even getting hit. I don't know about that Puerto Rico 'bad image.' We didn't lose sleep
"Salka is in the wrong predicament right now because that bad image made Danny a better fighter. Danny is 100 percent. The fight is going to be a great fight. I don't care what the people say.
"They're calling Danny 'cherry picker, blackberry picker' but it doesn't matter because he still has to go out there and get his (victory). I told him to be a fighter. Nobody ever gave him anything ... my job is not to worry about Salka. It's to worry about Danny Garcia.
"It's going to be called the 'Danny 'Swift' Garcia Show.' This is going to be the Fight of the Year.
"I had stage four cancer. Nothing was ever given to me. I was dying. They gave me six months to live - throat cancer at that. I had to live through a feeding tube for two years. That makes Danny who he is today! A fighter!."
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"GARCIA VS. SALKA," a 10-round welterweight bout on Saturday, August 9, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Dibella Entertainment, IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion Lamont Peterson puts his title on the line against Edgar Santana in a 12-round championship bout. Opening the telecast, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, Brooklyn's own Daniel Jacobs takes on Jarrod Fletcher for the vacant WBA Middleweight World Title. The event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., will air live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).
Live preliminary fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME begin at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and feature Sadam Ali defending his WBO NABO Intercontinental Welterweight Championship against Jeremy Bryan. Also featured will be a 10-round lightweight bout between Anthony Peterson and against Edgar Riovalle plus undefeated super lightweight Zachary Ochoa taking on Luis Cervantes in a swing bout.
Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges are on sale now at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-745-3000 and at the American Express Box Office. For group tickets, please call 800-GROUP-BK.