Errol Spence Jr v Mikey Garcia: All you need to know ahead of fight night
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Who will take home the IBF welterweight championship?
It’s all about legacy.
Both Errol Spence Jr and Mikey Garcia have spoken about carving their name into history with a win on Saturday night.
This will be Spence Jr’s third defence of his IBF welterweight title that he took from Kell Brook in 2017.
Much of the talk has all been about Garcia however, the 31-year-old is stepping up two weight classes to set foot in the ring.
And it’s good news for UK fans who can catch all the action on ITV4 from 2:00am. But stick around here as we go in-depth into the fight and look at all the key odds…
The Champ
Spence Jr’s record of 21 stoppages in his 24 straight wins will mean he goes into this one full of confidence. He made light-work of his last defence, a first round knock-out of Carlos Ocampo last year.
But this will be very different. Spence Jr’s weight means it’s almost like Garcia is moving up three classes for the fight and the 29-year-old must make this advantage count.
He showed off his lethal left-hand and combinations in the win over Ocampo.
The heavy hitter said he wanted to ’fight the best’ after that win and a win on Saturday against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around would really make a statement.
Spence Jr’s the favourite, but he’ll have to earn the right against the courageous Garcia.
The Challenger
All eyes will be on Garcia though, as he steps up from lightweight for this fight.
He has held an array of belts including the WBC lightweight title, lineal light welterweight and the IBF lightweight strap.
Garcia will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Manny Pacquaio at the peak of his powers.
In 2008 the Pac Man challenged himself at the higher weight class and swept the division.
Garcia’s 39-0 is formidable but this would fully cement his name in boxing legend.
All-time great of the sport Bernard Hopkins said this will be one of the toughest fights of Spence Jr’s career. Hopkins is convinced Garcia has the tools to beat and not just upset the champion.
Garcia’s smaller frame will mean he has to fly under the radar, evading the heavy-hitting New Yorker.
Fight Odds
This highly-anticipated showdown has Spence Jr at 1/4. If he picks up a head of steam then this could be over within the first five rounds.
Mikey Garcia’s best chance of bagging the win could be by decision. You can get the 31-year-old at 11/4 for victory.
If Garcia can punch above his weight on Saturday then he could become a two-weight world champion.
Click here for the latest Spence Jr v Garcia odds
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
