"You can see against Maidana he had something left. A lot of people thought he won that fight, and Maidana is a strong and aggressive dude. And then he beat the young kid on the Mayweather/Ortiz undercard with the same record as me, and a lot of people thought he was going to do the same thing to me as he done to that kid because I was young. But I knew he was going to come to fight because that's Erik Morales and I knew he was prepared for the full 12 rounds...I just want the big names. If it's a big name, I'll take the fight. I just want to get the big fights. Whoever they put in front of me, I'll take. I'm just ready to get the big names under my belt," stated newly-crowned WBC jr. welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who talked about his recent win over Erik Morales, his future plans, and much more. Check it out!
PC: I know being a world champion is something you have been talking about since I first spoke to you. How does it feel to have accomplished that now?
DG: Man, it feels great. Like you said, it's always been a dream of mine to become world champion and for it to come true is an unexplainable feeling.
PC: I liked your demeanor when you learned the fight was postponed. You never seemed to get down or seemed too bothered by it. Explain the actions leading up to the fight, from the postponement to Morales missing weight.
DG: The postponement, I felt like it helped me because with the original date, it was only going to be 6 1/2 weeks, and by the time they flew me out for that press conference, that actually took like a half of a week off of my training. I was probably going to only have 6 weeks to train for the fight the first go around. I was already training hard when they postponed it and my weight was down. When they postponed the fight, I was mad, but I felt like it may have been the right time, but I knew I had to be patient and it would give me more time to be ready. When he didn't make weight, I figured he was an older guy and he didn't want to burn his legs out and expend his energy and he would need those 2 extra pounds against a young fighter, and that's why he didn't want to burn himself out. That was the first thing I thought; he didn't want to lose his legs.
PC: You fought a resilient Erik Morales and he didn't come to lay down. Going in, did you expect it to be that tough?
DG: I knew he was coming to fight because that's Erik Morales (laughing). You can see against Maidana he had something left. A lot of people thought he won that fight, and Maidana is a strong and aggressive dude. And then he beat the young kid on the Mayweather/Ortiz undercard with the same record as me, and a lot of people thought he was going to do the same thing to me as he done to that kid because I was young. But I knew he was going to come to fight because that's Erik Morales and I knew he was prepared for the full 12 rounds.
PC: Was your nose broken during that fight? I know there was a lot of speculation.
DG: No, I didn't suffer no injuries. My nose was swollen. I got my after-fight physical at the event and they said it was just swollen, and when I came home, I got an X-ray just to make sure and I'm cool. My nose is cool and my face is cool; he just hit me with a good shot on the top of my nose and it just swole up.
PC: What's the next logical step for you as far as when and against who would you like to face?
DG: Man, I just want the big names. If it's a big name, I'll take the fight. I just want to get the big fights. Whoever they put in front of me, I'll take. I'm just ready to get the big names under my belt.
PC: It was definitely a special moment for you. What was it like after the fight to share that moment with your pops?
DG: It was amazing. Ever since I started boxing, it was my dream and that dream came true and it was crazy. It's like if you played the Lottery and you know millions of people play, and the odds of winning the Lottery is so small, and you hit the Lottery, I guarantee you that you are going to cry. It was like a dream come true.
PC: Naazim Richardson called me and told me how proud he was of you because he said as an amateur, you were relentless and if someone beat you one day, the next day you would be saying you're going to fight the guy again (laughing).
DG: Ah man, that's my man. He always told me I would be a champion. He always told me, "Every kid that got a win over you in the amateurs better enjoy that. One day they gonna be able to say I beat Danny Garcia in the amateurs." But everybody get their chance to eat and this is my chance to eat. He always believed in me, man, and always supported me.
PC: And you definitely looked Southern down there. Who hooked you up with the grill and chain?
DG: Oh, that was TV Johnny Dang. He hooked me up with the grill and the chain; he had me shining out there. You know he is a perfectionist. You know I had to bring a little bit of entertainment. I knew I was gonna shine so I had to shine after the fight too (laughing).
PC: You made some history as well becoming the first Latino world champion from Philly, right?
DG: Yeah, I'm the first Puerto Rican fighter to win a world title out of Philadelphia ever.
PC: Helluva fight my man. Keep me posted on your next move. Is there anything you want to say before I let you go?
DG: I want to thank my dad, Al Haymon, who is a great manager and did a lot for me; he helped me get in this position, and Golden Boy and to the people out there, like I said after my fight, don't ever give up. Dreams come true.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]