5. Mikey Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs)
Photo by Gene Blevins
Mikey Garcia was being groomed by Top Rank as a possible heir to Manny Pacquiao. In fact, Bob Arum spoke of eventually matching the two fighters against each other at some point.
Garcia is a rock solid boxer/puncher. He does everything well, and he’s beaten some decent opponents, most notably Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez.
His career has hit an impasse however, as he is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Top Rank. He’s trying to get out of his contract, which seems to be a running theme with that company.
Hopefully it gets cleared up soon, because although Garcia has yet to develop a big following, it’s undeniable that he’s got loads of talent and is just now entering his prime.
If things get cleared up, mouth-watering fights like Garcia vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa, or Garcia vs. Vasyl Lomachenko are definite possibilities.
