Junior Welterweight champion Danny Garcia will return to action on March 15, defending his titles against Mauricio Herrera in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Garcia vs. Herrera will headline a Showtime card.
For Garcia, it fulfills a long-stated desire to have a fight in Puerto Rico, and while Herrera isn’t exactly a premier opponent, Garcia has faced a steady string of top guys. Not to mention that Herrera actually holds a win over Ruslan Provodnikov in 2011. He dropped back-to-back fights against Mike Alvarado and Karim Mayfield, but acquitted himself well in each case. Since then, he’s won two straight bouts.
So if Garcia is overlooking Herrera, or faces the potential distractions of traveling to and fighting in Puerto Rico, in front of family he still has there, he won’t have an easy time of things. Herrera is a tough customer and a legitimate opponent, albeit outside of the current top 10 at 140 lbs.
The rest of the Puerto Rico card features two other intriguing bouts. First, undefeated American heavyweight Deontay Wilder will face his toughest opponent yet in Malik Scott. Not only is Scott the most skilled fighter Wilder will have faced, but he’s also an opponent who can nearly match Wilder’s size and reach.
Puerto Rican favorite Juan Manuel Lopez will return to action with a rematch against Daniel Ponce de Leon on the card. JuanMa destroyed Ponce in one round in their first fight, but since then, the fortunes of these two fighters have changed. It’s a chance for Ponce to get revenge, and also a chance for Lopez to get another big win, and to perform in front of his home fans.
