Boxing: Mikey Garcia Says 'Smaller' Manny Pacquiao Easier To Defeat Than Errol Spence Jr.

Mikey Garcia implicitly unleashed some taunting words towards Manny Pacquiao. The four-division world champion said that he “would love that opportunity to fight Manny,” comparing the 41-year-old to Errol Spence Jr., who is a much bigger fighter than the Filipino.

Garcia sounded confident when he implied that Pacquiao will be an easier opponent to deal with.

“I would love that opportunity to fight Manny. I think styles, you know, make fights. And he’s not this tall, lanky fighter that can complicate things like Errol Spence did,” said Garcia in an Instagram live interview with Eddie Hearn.

“Manny’s still a southpaw, but he’s a lot smaller in size,” he added. “So, he’s shorter in height, doesn’t have the reach like some of these other welterweights.”

Garcia was on the receiving end of an apparent boxing clinic from Spence Jr. in his debut at welterweight. The latter dominated all three scorecards to defend his IBF belt via unanimous decision in front of a sell-out crowd inside the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

After suffering his first career loss, Garcia responded with a bounce-back victory against Jessie Vargas in February this year to notch his first victory at 147.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, scored his own decision victory over erstwhile undefeated champion Keith Thurman in July 2019 to become the WBA Super Welterweight champion.

But Garcia does not appear to be rattled at all. Having witnessed the peak of the eight-division world champion’s career, Garcia knows the Pacman’s Achilles’ heel. It is to be noted that the American boxer already once tasted Pacquiao’s punches as both used to be sparring partners back in the day, hence he knows how to go for the jugular.

“I mean, I remember sparring with him years (and) years ago,” Garcia recalled. “I was able to fight in the ways similar to like Morales or Marquez.”

Garcia now holds 40 wins with a 75 percent knockout percentage in 41 fights. Targetting Pacquiao makes a lot of sense as he continues his quest of becoming a legitimate contender at welterweight.