There is a p4p top-tier boxer, in his prime, that nobody brings up anymore.

I can't even wrap my head around how much combined technical skill would be on display between Garcia & Crawford. When is the last time such would have been seen? DLH vs. Pea? Nah, more recent - Barrera vs. Morales III...still...

(of course, it might end up being 2nd to Gonzalez vs. Inoue, should that dream come true in the near future...)

 

Any of those you'd actually favor over him?

Or anybody up at LW?

...and how about Crawford?

 

Crawford was campaigning at lightweight just under a year ago.

(though he was big for the weight, sort of like how Mikey was slightly big for both feather and super feather...I'd say Garcia is a "natural" LW, though we've never seen him there, and Crawford a "natural" LWW)

 

It just leaves so many what-ifs hanging in the balance, right as 130 and 135 are getting hot. :-(

 

You're not alone. The entire boxing world did - and this is a guy that not only was on most p4p lists but was said to be in the Pacquiao sweepstakes (at the forefront of them, actually, when he was) as of ~18 months ago!

 

...and unlike a lot of bright stars that dim for a variery of sensible reasons, he was a) never defeated, b) never really had a "bad" night where he struggled more than he should have with someone, c) never babysat a belt with soft touch defenses against obscure fringe contenders at home, or with catch-weights or crazy demands as the A-side diva, and d) never had a string of lousy opposition.

Unlike other guys that blew their primes and brought their decline in recognition on themselves with poor career decisions, like Guzman or Gamboa, he literally went from being among the most talked about to PHANTOM status, from one year to another, over behind-the-scenes politics. Even with Andre Ward he at least still hops between the ropes now and then with his name thereby kept fresh and topical, however unsatisfying those occasions may be. Garcia is arguably on par with him p4p and yet gets 1% of the ink Ward (a far less exciting fighter) does.

 

That would have been, roughly, the version of Manny from Bradley II.

You don't think Garcia would have stood a chance with that Manny?

Why not? People are now saying Pacquiao getting thrown in with Crawford is a stupid and dangerous mistake, and Garcia poses a lot of the same problems (albeit smaller than Crawford...but then size is kind of a non-factor, as Crawford is smaller than Margarito, or even Rios...both of whom Manny easily shut out. The issue here is skill, and there isn't a lot separating Garcia from Crawford there...and both are much younger and fresher than Pac...)

 

In fact, in a lot of ways, I'd say that facing Garcia, with his strength, timing and natural counter-punching ability, would feel to Pac in the opposite corner much like he were facing a young prime version of his indomintable archnemesis Marquez - except far removed from his own prime. :think