:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58258541/832558486.jpg.0.jpg)
As lightweight titleholders Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares have spent a lot of time talking about a potential showdown, it seems we won’t have to wait all that long for it to come to pass.
Garcia says he and Eric Gomez of Golden Boy, who represents Linares, discussed having their awaited showdown this month, but that Gomez convinced him the fight would be better suited for this summer, telling Sky Sports:
“January is not the right month and that is why we have both decided to take an interim fight. We both want this fight, we both want to fight each other, so why not take advantage and wait a few months and generate more money and interest than we would have in January?
“Hopefully we don’t have any injuries or cuts and we both come out clean and healthy from these fights and we both have victories. Then we can meet in the summer. That’s the fight everyone wants to see and it’s a fight that makes sense. I know Jorge is excited to get into the ring with me, I am excited to get in the ring with him this year.”
In the meanwhile Linares will be defending his WBA lightweight title against Mercito Gesta on Jan. 27, while Garcia will take on 140lb titleholder Sergey Lipinets on Feb. 10 for a chance to win a belt in a fourth weight class. Both Linares and Garcia are heavily favored to win their interim bouts, as you might expect.