FightHype.com recently had a chance to talk with welterweight prospect Danny "Swift" Garcia fresh off of his knockout victory over Marlo Cortez. Garcia, a former amateur standout, is now 3-0 with all three wins by knockout and he's fast becoming one of boxing's most exciting young prospects. Check out what Garcia had to say about his performance, the pressure of being a rising star and more.
SM: Congratulations on your knockout of Marlo Cortez. What are your thoughts on the fight?
DG: I feel good. I feel strong and confident and I'm getting ready for the next one on February 8th.
SM: Do you know who you are fighting yet?
DG: Yeah, they gave me a name. His name is Lester Balmores from Las Vegas.
SM: And this fight will be televised on Telefutura as well, correct?
DG: Yes. I'm the first bout.
SM: Against Cortez, were you looking for the knockout?
DG: No, I just went behind my jab and then I just started throwing hard punches, but then he started to slow down so I caught him with a good punch and he went down. I wasn't going in there looking for the knockout. I was just trying to go in there and use my jab.
SM: You're on a good pace here in '08. How active would you like to be this year?
DG: By the end of the year, I'm hoping to be between 10-0 or 12-0.
SM: Okay. So what made you get into boxing to begin with?
DG: Since I was little, my dad used to always sit me down and watch boxing. You know, I used to watch Chavez and he would just train me in the house. In Philadelphia, you can't fight until you're ten years old and they won't let you in the gym until you are ten so when I turned ten, my dad signed me into the gym and we just kept going.
SM: So who did you grow up wanting to emulate in boxing?
DG: Oscar. Oscar De La Hoya. I loved him since I was little.
SM: So that must make it pretty surreal to be signed to Golden Boy Promotions.
DG: Yeah, you know it's great. I was like, it was my childhood dream to meet him and when I did, I ain't have nothing to say (laughs). I was shocked.
SM: You're 19 years old. There was some serious amateur buzz surrounding you. Does that provide any greater pressure given that you're one of the hottest prospects out right now?
DG: Nah, I just stay relaxed, you know. I know I'm in shape so I just go in there and stay focused. I don't try to worry about those things because it will distract me and make me even more nervous and that gets you tired in there. So I just try to relax so that I can stay focused. I just look at it like it's a sparring session and just go in there and do what I got to do which is beat this guy.
SM: When all is said and done, when you retire, what would you have liked to accomplish?
DG: I want to be a living legend. I just want to be one of the best fighters that, 20-30 years from now, little kids will be looking up to me.
SM: Outside of boxing, what do you like to do in you spare time?
DG: Well, I love going to the mall. Whether I'm shopping or window shopping, I love the mall. That's my desk right there, the mall (laughing).
SM: Do you find that people now notice who you are in public?
DG: Yeah, I'm pretty known at the mall I go to. A lot of people know me and are like, "look, there's Danny Garcia" and they will come up and shake my hand.