Danny Garcia’s six-year run as a welterweight appears to be nearing its expiration date, as the 32-year-old is eyeing a championship run in a new division.

“Honestly, I would like to go up to 154,” Garcia told SouthBox. “Me and [Keith] Thurman can fight at 154. My goal in boxing was to be a three-division world champion at 140, 147, and 154. I fought everyone at 147 and 140. I thought I beat [Shawn] Porter and Thurman. I did everything I was supposed to do at 147 even though I didn’t unify the division like I wanted to, but I still became a champion. The next chapter of my career is at 154. I’ll go up to 154, and I’m still a bigger name than all the dudes at 154. They need someone like me in that division to help them bring more light to it.”

Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs) has been campaigning as a welterweight ever since his April 2015 majority decision win against Lamont Peterson. After beating Paul Malignaggi, Garcia captured the vacant WBC crown in 2016 when he scored a unanimous decision win over Robert Guerrero. Garcia defended the title once against Samuel Vargas before dropping a close decision to Thurman in 2017. His second attempt for a title at 147 title was futile in a spirited unanimous decision loss to Porter in 2018. 

The Philadelphia-based Garcia bested the likes of Brandon Rios, Adrian Granados and Ivan Redkach to work his way toward another title opportunity against Errol Spence Jr. in December, but he lost again. 

Should this be it for 5-foot-8 Garcia at 147, the former unified 140-pound champion will finish with a record of 7-3 and 4 KOs as a welterweight. 

“Boxing is all about matchmaking. If I get the right matches at 154, that’s what it’s all about. I’ll get a couple of fights to break myself in, and then I’ll go for the gusto like I always do,” said Garcia. 

Garcia is tied with PBC, who sports a bevy of credible fighters in the division, highlighted by current champions Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano, former titleholders Erislandy Lara, Julian Williams, Tony Harrison, Jeison Rosario, Jarret Hurd and Austin Trout and contenders like Sebastian Fundora and Erickson Lubin. 

“I’ll be more active at that weight; I’ll be strong and throw more punches,” Garcia promised. “I’ll be a lot sharper and stronger. Sometimes losing all of this weight doesn’t help you, it just drains you and stresses you out. As you get older, you have to move up in weight so you can feel more comfortable and stronger. Just like every other great in the history of boxing, they all did it.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com