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Abner Mares offers to spar Mikey Garcia for charity

Golden Boy and Top Rank may not put on a professional fight with one another, but Mares says he's happy to spar Garcia, with proceeds going to charity.

Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Marcos Villegas, Fight Hub TV

Looking at your division and maybe 130 as well in the future, I know Mikey Garcia is a guy you've shown interest in fighting. He's said over the internet he would love to spar you without headgear. What'd you make of those comments, and overall how likely do you feel it is that could happen?

Abner Mares

Mikey Garcia and his whole team are real guys. Straight, legit. They say things forward. They say it how they see it. I don't take 'em personal at all. It is what it is. I know they're pressuring him, as well as they're pressuring me, the fans; "hey, let's make this fight, let's make this fight." He probably just got tired of it, because he knows we can't make it because of our promoters. And he says, "he knows where I am." I can say the same thing, you know where I am. Why don't you come this way? But it's not about that. It just can't happen right now. Let's wait. Maybe later on in the future, who knows? About that sparring session, I have no problem sparring him at all. I was even thinking, if we could do a sparring session, it doesn't have to be 12 rounds. Maybe four, six rounds. If we could generate money, charge people -- have that money go to charity.

Marcos Villegas, Fight Hub TV

That's a great idea! Charity sparring session with Abner Mares and Mikey Garcia, I think that would be really cool.

Abner Mares

Exactly, that'd be good. If he's thinking of not making money, OK, I don't wanna make money. We do this for the fans. Let's also think of this, there's people out there that do need money. Let's do it for charity, for someone that does need it. I'd be more than happy. Honestly, talking from the bottom of my heart, I would definitely do it.

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