Mikey Garcia makes return on Leo Santa Cruz v Carl Frampton card
Wednesday 29 June 2016 10:11, UK
Mikey Garcia will resume his glittering and unbeaten boxing career when he takes on Elio Rojas on the Leo Santa Cruz v Carl Frampton card in New York on July 30.
Due to contractual disputes, the Californian (34-0-KO28) has not fought since January 2014, when he defended his WBO super-featherweight title with a unanimous points victory over Juan Carlos Burgos.
In Rojas, Garcia faces a fellow former world champion. Having won world titles as a featherweight and a super-featherweight, Garcia's comeback bout is set to serve as a prelude to an assault on the lightweight division.
I want to fight at 135 and win a title there. I want to win a title there and keep going after champion after champion.
He told Showtime: "I expect to pick up right where I left off. I was a world champion, I was undefeated, and I still am. I didn't leave because I was injured. I think I'll come back even better. I'm hungrier now than I was before.
"I just have to get one fight in. This first fight with Elio will be somewhere between 135 and 140 pounds, but I want to fight at 135 and win a title there. I want to win a title there and keep going after champion after champion.
"Now that all that [uncertainty] is behind me I look forward to the next stage of my career. This next stage of my career will be what people remember me for."
His opponent, Rojas, is a former WBC featherweight champion and added: "Mikey Garcia is a great fighter. I want to thank him for this opportunity.
"We are both former WBC world champions and I expect a great fight. However, all of the talk surrounding this fight has been about Mikey's comeback and his future plans. I am no tune-up. This is also about me coming back and fighting again.
"He may be looking past me, but I am fully focused on him and securing the victory. I will do whatever I have to do to win, so I can move on and regain my world championship."
Also added to the bill at Brooklyn's Barclays Center is Paulie Malignaggi facing fellow local boy Gabriel Bracero.
