Boxing has always shared a certain bond with the city of Philadelphia. The sweet science, in a way, perfectly exemplifies the hard-working residents of the city and the inherent toughness they all seem to posses. Naturally, fighters hailing from such surroundings seem to exude an aura of invincibility that has to be a natural extension of the battles they have faced on the unforgiving streets of Philadelphia. After all, it is no coincidence that some of the greatest fighters to ever lace up the leather called Philly their home. Fighters such as Bernie Briscoe, Robert Hines, Meldrick Taylor, Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins all hail from the City of Brotherly Love.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the unwavering self belief of a Philadelphia-bred fighter quite like Eric Harding's infamous moment in his 2002 battle with Antonio Tarver. In the fifth round, a picture perfect left hand floored Harding – hard! Ever the fighter, Harding rose to beat the count, though his legs were as steady as cooked spaghetti. Concerned for his safety, referee Bill Paige asked Harding if he was fit to continue. Harding's answer was like something out of the movies:
"I'm from Philadelphia," he yelled.
It was one of those surreal goosebump moments that you can only get in this sport. Those three words summed up everything you ever needed to know about what it means to be a Philly fighter.
20-year-old welterweight prospect Danny "Swift" Garcia (4-0, 4 KO's) hopes to one day be mentioned with the greats hailing from Philadelphia. So far, such distinction may not seem premature as Garcia has slowly started to create the buzz of a can't miss prospect. But for all the hoopla surrounding a fighter with less than six total rounds of professional boxing, Garcia stays humble and focused.
"Nah, I just stay relaxed, you know. I know I am 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," Garcia would tell FightHype in a recent interview.
Such focus and confidence is the product of an extensive amateur background in the ultra competitive Philadelphia boxing scene. Garcia's amateur accomplishments speak for themselves: a record of 107-13, five-time national champion as well as an invitation to be the 2008 Olympic team alternate.
Garcia would opt to turn professional after losing in the finals of the Olympic trials and hooked up with one of the sports' most sought-after managers, Shelly Finkel.
"Some guy saw me fighting in the U.S. National Championships in 2007. His name is Barry Hunter. He trains the Peterson brothers. He saw me fight at the U.S. National Championships and he told Shelly about me and then after that, when I came back to Philly, [Finkel] called my boxing gym," Garcia explains. "We met up and he saw me fight in the [Olympic] trials. After I lost in the finals and was named the alternate, I decided to turn pro right after that."
Finkel would soon after bring Garcia over to Golden Boy Promotions. For Garcia, fighting under Oscar De La Hoya's promotional banner was a dream come true.
"It's a blessing. I would have never thought that my first four fights would be on three really big cards. I never thought it would happen, but I thank Golden Boy, I thank Shelly and I thank everybody who is helping out my career."
With the business side of things taken care of, Garcia now just has to focus on one thing, being a fighter. It's something that Garcia takes seriously and follows a strict training regimen to keep him in peak condition.
"I wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning for a four or five mile run, then I come back and relax for a little bit. Three times a week around 12 0'clock, me and my dad go to the fitness center and do some physical training, but we train every day of the week in the boxing gym. We do six days a week in the boxing gym and we run every single day."
But for Garcia, the real motivation is provided for his love and desire to represent his native Philly. Growing up in the culturally diverse Kensington area of Philadelphia, Garcia always felt the inherent sense of pride that goes along with hailing from the city.
"It's not a beautiful place, but it's a pretty cool place. Everybody knows me and I have no problems. All Philly is rough though, to tell you the truth," Garcia explains of his neighborhood.
When asked what it means to be a Philly fighter, Garcia's answer is so heartfelt and sincere that you know it is not simply lip service, but a deep rooted mantra.
"A Philly fighter is a person who fights with a lot of heart, a real tough person. In Philly, you don't spar in the gym, you have wars. In Philly, only the strong survive and make it out of the city to become the best. So the person who stays focused and is in the best shape will make it," Garcia proudly states. "You know, everybody in Philly wants to win. There are no 'opponents' in Philly so you really have to strive to be the best. It is motivation because it keeps you on point and it keeps you hungry. Being from Philly keeps you hungry and that is what's going to push me to the top."
Swift
So how exactly did Garcia get the nickname "Swift"?
Garcia explains, "I was about 13 years old and there was this guy who was just about to turn pro, his name was Lenny, and I used to spar with him all the time. He was about 20-years-old and I used to spar him, but I would beat him up. One day, he walked into the gym and he was like, 'I've got the perfect name for you, Young Swift' and I just kept it from there."
Philly Connection
Currently, Garcia is scheduled to step in the ring again on the undercard of the highly anticipated Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe showdown in Las Vegas on April 19th. His opponent is the always dangerous "TBA". Considering that Hopkins is a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, has Garcia been given any advice form Philadelphia's own Executioner?
"I respect Bernard. He did it his way and he is successful. You know he is a great fighter. I don't think he really knew who I was until I signed with Golden Boy. Then he found out I was from Philly. Ever since then, he has spoken to say high and shake hands and all that good stuff. You know, showing that Philadelphia love."