LAS VEGAS – It wouldn’t be a big fight card without a crazy dad lurking in somebody’s corner.
Angel Garcia, junior-welterweight champion Danny Garcia’s father and trainer, filled the role Thursday with a noisy stand-up that included God, country, a Latino beat, a couple of comic-book heroes and a condemnation of anybody who doesn’t think his son can beat favored Lucas Matthysse Saturday night at the MGM Grand.
He didn’t comment on Syria. Then again, maybe we just missed that one. After all, there’s only so much time in one news conference and even a good digital recorder has limited space. Let’s just say that as we write this, Angel Garcia is still talking.
“Vegas don’t know nothing,’’ said Angel, who transformed his turn at the podium into a bully pulpit vacant since Ruben Guerrero was there in May before son Robert Guerrero’s loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. “You don’t know nothing. I know everything.’’
Crazy dads have been part of boxing’s dysfunctional family since at least Floyd Mayweather Sr., who has said little and been notably absent from the stage in the theater leading up to his son’s junior-middleweight fight Saturday night against Canelo Alvarez at the MGM Grand. But if you were expecting some silence with Mayweather Sr. in the background, forget it.
After thanking God, Angel talked about those skeptical of his son’s chances as though they were infidels, or at the very least un-American. He expects a big Latin crowd from Argentina supporting the power-punching Matthysse with Argentine colors, baby-blue and white. Angel Garcia talked about his Latino background. He and his unbeaten son (26-0, 16 KOs) are of Puerto Rican descent. But they are Philadelphia, through and through.
“Danny is an American fighter,’’ Angel said. “He represents the United States, the same country that sends you a welfare check. You sign it, don’t you? Then, you’re an Americanito.’’
Angel promised that the 140-pound titles would remain in his son’s American hands in a bout that might be the most entertaining fight on the Mayweather-Canelo card. There’s been a lot of attention of Matthysse’s knockout ratio. It’s at a head-rocking 86.49 percent. He has 32 stoppages in 36 fights, a record that includes 34 victories and two losses, both by decision. In his last bout, Matthysse generated a lot of attention with crushing third TKO of Lamont Peterson in May.
“His knockout of Lamont Peterson was heard around the world,’’ Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said.
But Angel Garcia mocked stories about punching power that initially, he said, made Matthysse sound like Superman.
“Then, he knocked out Lamont Peterson and, whoa, Aquaman is back,’’ Angel said.
Matthysse shrugged his shoulders when asked about Angel Garcia’s mix commentary, insults and comedy. It didn’t affect him anyway, he said.
“Not at all, because I don’t understand what he says,’’ Matthysse said in Spanish.
Matthysse, about a 5-2 favorite Thursday afternoon, only promised that he would win. But Angel vowed that his surprising son would not be beaten.
“If he loses, I’ll cut my head off,’’ Angel said.
That might be the only way to silence him.