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The moment it was announced #boxingfriends congealed into a frothing, seething mass of hatred for the matchup between 140-pound champ Danny "Swift" Garcia and "Lighting" Rod Salka. The collective disdain for this perceived mismatch has eclipsed anything in recent memory.
On a media call this week, Salka explained he's "coming to win" and he has no expectations other than "winning the fight."
But, before you guffaw at Salka for such a preposterous stance, think: Can you blame him?
It's not his fault Golden Boy chose him as Garcia's opponent for Saturday's fight at Barclays Center. It's not his fault he's been given a once-in-a-lifetime shot at an elite fighter on a Showtime broadcast. It's not his fault Garcia's team lobbied for a catchweight and neither the WBC nor WBA chose to sanction the fight.
Salka's job is to believe in himself, and he appears to be taking his job seriously.
Elias Cepeda's piece at Yahoo! paints a blustery picture of Salka, while an exclusive interview with Fightnews shows a much more contemplative and grounded Salka. I recommend reading the latter.
Hey guys, like, Rod Salka is a human being, you know. Does any of this chance your thoughts on Saturday's matchup?