At least it isn’t Danny Garcia-Rod Salka II.
Another Premier Boxing Champions on FOX main event announcement for the first quarter of 2019 is in. Like the others, it isn’t exactly one to get all that excited about in the form of Danny Garcia versus Adrian Granados. It isn’t a terrible fight either though.
Having lost two of his last three to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, I expected Danny Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs) to take a massive step down in his next fight like he had previously done in massive mismatches against Samuel Vargas and most laughably Rod Salka. That has been the Garcia way, historically. When expectations are that low, middling results can be taken as a pleasant surprise. That is exactly the case with Garcia’s upcoming bout with welterweight fringe contender Adrian Granados (20-6-2, 14 KOs).
Adrian isn’t a top of the line elite welterweight like Danny Garcia can be on the right day, but his career is an interesting study. He is one of the biggest hard luck fighters of the modern era. Of the eight fights that the Illinois native did not have his hand raised in, only one was a clear loss. That came to Shawn Porter about a year ago now. Otherwise his split or majority decision losses to then unbeaten and prominent prospects Frankie Gomez, Brad Solomon, and Felix Diaz could have and maybe should have been scored for him. I haven’t seen his 2011 split draw with Lanardo Tyner or his four round split decision loss in his second pro fight, but the cards suggest Granados could have won those too. I certainly thought he beat Kermit Cintron in their 2013 split draw and I did narrowly score his split decision loss Adrien Broner in his favor too.
In another reality, Adrian Granados is 27-1 and a top contender without changing much at all. He’ll still be a big underdog against Danny Garcia though. While the Philly favorite has lost two the two best welterweights he has fought, he also reminded us what he was capable of in between with a sensational knockout of Brandon Rios. Granados is almost certainly a little better than Rios at this point in the brawler’s career, but he is also just as certainly closer to the class of Brandon Rios than he is a Shawn Porter or Keith Thurman.
This one is better than Thurman-Lopez or the even worse Santa Cruz-Flores FOX main events, but it isn’t necessarily a good thing that it is one of the better fights in the series so far by any means. I’ll bring an update if an official date or any undercard bouts get announced at the official PBC on FOX press conference this afternoon.
