Danny Garcia has faced a plethora of dangerous punchers, including Errol Spence Jr, yet ‘The Truth’ is not even considered among his hardest-hitting opponents.

Instead, ‘Swift’ claims he experienced more pronounced power against Keith Thurman, who he faced in his first WBC world welterweight title defence in 2017.

Ultimately, Garcia lost a split decision after giving a strong account of himself, before losing another tight verdict against Shawn Porter the following year.

The American was then presented with a second chance to reclaim his WBC belt in 2020, only to suffer a clear unanimous decision defeat against Spence.

But while Thurman was perhaps the biggest puncher he faced at 147lbs, the power was on another level when Garcia challenged WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara in 2024.

Back then, Garcia had just ended a two-year layoff and, in his first outing at 160lbs, was contending with a significant size disadvantage against his skilled opponent.

In the end, Lara scored a dominant ninth-round stoppage, with Garcia telling YSM Sports Media that the Cuban, along with Thurman and Lucas Martin Matthysseare the three biggest punchers he has ever faced.

“I would say Matthysse, Thurman and Lara might be the biggest punchers I’ve faced. I don’t know if it was my layoff, or whatever, but every time [Lara] hit me, I felt it.

“I don’t know if it was the layoff or the weight, but he was strong.”

Defending his WBC title down at 140lbs, Garcia unanimously outpointed Matthysse in 2013 after scoring an 11th-round knockdown in what was a largely competitive contest.

After chasing Canelo Alvarez for the best part of two years, David Benavidez now hopes another super-middleweight can be granted his shot at the Mexican.

Ultimately, Benavidez was never presented with the chance to become a three-time world champion at 168lbs, despite making two defences of his WBC ‘interim’ title.

As a result, many have blamed Canelo for consistently ducking the ‘Mexican Monster’ who, as a unified cruiserweight champion, is now even less likely to face the modern pound-for-pound great.

But while recognising that his own ship has sailed, Benavidez nonetheless hopes that former world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly can secure his opportunity.

The unbeaten Uzbek vacated his WBO title at 160lbs earlier this year, having previously been stripped of his IBF belt after testing positive for banned substance meldonium in November 2025.

Nevertheless, the 33-year-old became the WBO’s mandatory challenger at 168lbs, only for Hamzah Sheeraz to vacate his strap after their ordered bout went to a purse bid hearing.

Instead, Alimkhanuly will face fellow unbeaten contender Jacob Bank for the vacant title on January 23, when a victory could place him in the Canelo sweepstakes for 2027.

Speaking with Fight Hub TVBenavidez said he sincerely hopes, but remains doubtful, that their unification match materialises.

“The only fight that I would love to see [Canelo in]which would be a great fight, [is against] Janibek. But I don’t think that would ever happen.”

Most seem to be highlighting Sheeraz as a more likely opponent for Canelo, who reclaimed his WBC title by unanimously outpointing and dethroning Christian Mbilli last month.

Skye Nicolson kept Miyo Yoshida chasing for 10 rounds, using her longer reach and lead right hand to win a unanimous decision and retain her WBC super bantamweight title Sunday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The judges scored it 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 for Nicolson in her first defense as full champion at 122 pounds. Neither fighter went down on the ESPN card headlined by Elif Turhan and Alycia Baumgardner.

Less than a pound separated the fighters at the weigh-in, but Nicolson had about five inches of reach on Yoshida. That advantage showed each time Yoshida had to step in to throw. The challenger landed several rights in the opening round, but Nicolson answered with left hands and body shots. By the third, Nicolson (17-1, 3 KOs) was catching Yoshida with the lead right as she came forward.

Yoshida (19-6, 1 KO) had one of her better spells in the fourth, backing Nicolson up with a flurry. Nicolson countered with a right and tied her up before she could build on it. In the fifth, Nicolson went from circling away to pressing Yoshida, 38, toward the ropes, where she landed a right hook. Yoshida had to stay ready for Nicolson to come forward even as she tried to cut off the ring.

The Japanese challenger kept finding short rights in the clinches in the sixth and seventh and landed on the way in during the eighth. The trouble came whenever Nicolson got clear. Yoshida had to start her approach again, and Nicolson, 31, could get back to scoring with both hands from outside. Yoshida put combinations together in the ninth, but Nicolson caught her with a counter left and an uppercut. The champion worked quick uppercuts into her combinations in the tenth as Yoshida pursued her to the final bell.

Yoshida was trying to win a world title in a third weight class after holding belts at 115 and 118 pounds. She showed she could make Nicolson uncomfortable once she got close, particularly when she led with more than one punch. She spent too much of the fight trying to get back there.

For Nicolson, the result was her first successful defense since being elevated from interim to full champion in May. The former WBC featherweight champion had been due to face Yoshida in Britain in August before an injury delayed the bout. She made her MVP debut in Arlington and came away with the belt still in hand and a possible unification ahead.