It is a battle between two veterans of the ‘sweet science’. Two of boxing’s most decorated fighters will battle it out in the co-main event of the Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga fight card on September 14. In the battle for legacy, Erislandy Lara will defend his WBA middleweight title against Danny Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. At 41, Lara is the oldest active world champion in the sport of boxing. Nevertheless, he has vowed that he will be in “tremendous shape” and “ready for anything” that one of the finest welterweight fighters of his generation, Danny Garcia, has in store for him.

On the other hand, the former two-division champion Garcia wants to be crowned a champion in a new weight division. He is making a jump from super welterweight to middleweight. “I wanna be a three-division champion. Two is good but three is a whole different legacy. That’s why I want this Lara fight. It’s the fastest way for me,” Garcia stated in one of his media interviews. The Swift will be coming into the showdown after a two-year hiatus. Furthermore, apart from legacy, the fight holds significance as it could be the last time that boxing fans witness the two pugilists enter the ring to trade punches. So, without further ado, let’s explore their boxing records, and their physical attributes to assess who would reign supreme.

Danny Garcia vs. Erislandy Lara: Who has a better boxing record?

Erislandy Lara has a record of 30-3-3, winning multiple champions in two weight classes — super welterweight, and middleweight. He is currently in great form, coming into the showdown on the back of three straight knockout wins. ‘The American Dream’ made his jump to middleweight in May 2021, winning the ‘regular’ world title in his debut fight in the division, stopping Thomas LaManna in the first round. Thereafter, he was elevated to the status of full champion, after the eighth-round stoppage of Gary O’Sullivan, twelve months later.

This year in March, he had his first title defense against Michael Zerafa, securing a second-round knockout win. Meanwhile, the three losses in his career have come in between long stretches of unbeatable streaks, against the likes of elite fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Jarrett Hurd, and Paul Williams. Interestingly, the Cuban native has never been knocked out in his career.

On the other hand, just like Lara, Danny Garcia is also a two-division champion (super-lightweight, and welterweight), with 37 wins and three defeats in his professional career. Garcia has faced many elite names in boxing like Samuel Vargas, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Errol Spence Jr, Zab Judah, and Amir Khan. However, his fight form in the last couple of years has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

‘Swift’ has fought sparingly. In the last four years, he has fought only twice — Errol Spence Jr in 2020 and Jose Benavidez Jr in 2022. On the other hand, Garcia can’t be too ashamed of his losses as it has come after hard-fought battles against formidable champions like Thurman, Porter, and Errol Spence Jr. Garcia comes into his upcoming showdown following his majority decision win against Jose Benavidez Jr in 2022.

Despite the recent inactivity, the Philadelphia native has more ring experience under his belt, fighting 282 grueling rounds, compared to Lara’s 236. The 36-year-old fighter has fought four more bouts than the 41-year-old Lara. However, Lara has a slightly longer and more extensive amateur boxing experience.

Both have stunning boxing records with not much between them to make a discernable assessment of who is the better fighter. Maybe, the physical attributes of both fighters could give us a better picture.

Danny Garcia vs. Erislandy Lara: Height, Reach, Weight, KO ratio

Lara has a height advantage of 1 inch over Garcia, with the middleweight champion standing in at 5′ 9″ or 175 cm. Meanwhile, Danny Garcia stands at 5′8″ or 173cm. The Houston, Texas resident has a reach of 191 cm, a significant advantage over Garcia’s 174 cm reach. The upcoming clash will be Garcia’s debut fight in the middleweight division. Previously, he has fought the majority of his fights in the welterweight and super-lightweight divisions. Meanwhile, Lara has already fought three times in the 160-pound weight limit and has become more of a natural in that weight class. Nevertheless, both fighters would have to make the 160-pound weight limit before Saturday.

What’s more, Lara also has a power advantage over Danny Garcia, knocking out eighteen of the thirty opponents he won against, and securing a KO ratio of 60%. Meanwhile, Garcia has a knockout ratio of 56.76%, knocking out twenty-one of the thirty-seven opponents he beat. Furthermore, it must be noted that Lara has gained freakish power in middleweight, winning all of his three bouts by early finishes.

Using his significant height and reach advantage, Lara should be fighting on the outside, keeping himself out of the range of Garcia’s famed hooks, and using his jabs to his advantage. With his new-found strength in the middleweight division, Lara would be looking to dispatch his opponent as quickly as possible. Ring rust could ultimately lead to Garcia’s downfall if Lara continues with the same form he started with this year. The trick here is for Lara to stop Garcia from closing the distance.

It remains to be seen if Erislandy Lara’s swift feet and reflexes will be able to help him against the Philadelphia native’s onslaught. However, as things stand, Lara looks like the favorite to take home the win.

Nonetheless, do you believe Erislandy Lara will be successful in his second middleweight title defense? Or, do you think Danny Garcia will reign supreme and add to his stellar legacy by becoming a three-division world champion? Let us know in the comment section below.