In my sober moments listening to Shatta Wale’s hit song “I know my level”, a big stakeholder in the art of pugilism dropped me a link headlined “WHY Did Mikey Garcia vacate the IBF title?” My first thought was like Really?
So I decided to peruse the well worded write-up by one of Ghana’s and Africa’s finest boxing writers Kenneth Bouhare….reading through what my sender calls “irked perfectly precision article,” very paradoxical but it was rather the first quote by the yet to be defeated Mikey Garcia that got me pretty fascinated.
“I just didn’t have enough time to negotiate the Commey fight in the time the IBF required so I needed to vacate,” Garcia, 39-0 (30), told ESPN.
“I have a lot of options but the fight with Spence is the fight I want.” Garcia said.
While most people may agree with the second paragraph, I really do not know about the first explanation.
But like a wise chief in my native Kwahu once reiterated “if you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who did not cut you.” Pondering over, that indeed is deep.
But the ever affable manager of Richard Commey, Michael Amoo Bediako Snr was pretty quick to answer the champ.
“He’s known Richard was the mandatory for months,” he said. “By holding on to the WBC title, this indicates that Garcia would like to return to 135 at some point, possibly against Vasyl Lomachenko. My thinking is that if Garcia thought Richard was an easy touch, he would have fought him in November, kept both belts and still fought Spence in February or March. Then he could have a big unification for all four belts versus Lomachenko, provided Lomachenko gets past Jose Pedraza.” The CEO of Streetwise Management and Streetwise Promotions explained.
Michael Amoo Bediako Snr decided to be diplomatic by sugar-coating Garcia’s excuses
“To be honest, I’m not surprised at Mikey’s decision,” he said. “It’s clear that he or his team did not fancy facing Richard. They were hoping Richard would somehow go away, enabling him to keep both belts. He even stated that in one of his interviews; that mandatories may get other offers. He was basically saying Richard might get another offer somewhere else.”
Well, let’s just go down memory lane, one of boxing Ghana’s finest boxing editors, Dennis Moore, wrote an excellent piece on this subject.
“I think his move is solid. Life is about taking risks with positive cognitive thoughts. So why not? His move into 147 is all about money and fame. Period.” Dennis Moore quoted in his fantastic article.
Truth be told, Garcia and his team are not the least oblivious of the challenge that Richard Commey offers, boxingwise, so deciding to make a business decision because they know Commey is going to be hard nut to crack with less money was a risk they simply weren’t going to entertain at this material moment.
And a big possibility of an upset or worse withering away of Garcia’s seemingly invincibility brand should the fight travel the full length of the mandated twelve rounder, was a risk too fatal.
Boxing Ghana’s research shows that most people in Ghana and across the world think Mikey Garcia smartly chickened out of the way of the hungry African who coincidently hails from the most celebrated boxing deity and Mecca of African boxing ‘Bukom,’ a community within former British Accra, Jamestown.
Let’s state the fact, Mikey Garcia had four good months to make the decision that according to his own words “I just didn’t have enough time to negotiate.” Enough time indeed!
Jose Ramon, is a former amateur come professional boxer and runs a boxing page on facebook called ‘knowledgeable boxing fans’… he posted a question last week on whether Mikey truly cleaned the lightweight division before moving up to fight Spence? You are really going to find some interestingly damning answers against Garcia. Interesting enough, not a single one defended Garcia’s view.
Truth be told, Richard Commey may not have the affluence nor the charm but he’s certainly got power with ambition, an ambition which the spirit of the land shares and regardless the opposition, Commey is soon coming for the IBF champion in the making.
One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face in life is choosing to walk away, or going for the what could kill or unmake you and for that I give it to Mikey Garcia for walking away from Richard Oblitey Commey.