Mikey Garcia (Photo: Esther Lin – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Tuesday afternoon, WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia worked out for the media inside of the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles ahead of his July 28 bout vs. IBF champion Robert Easter Jr. Garcia (38-0, 30 KO’s) faces Easter (21-0, 14 KO’s) inside of the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in a Premier Boxing Champions telecast that will air live on SHOWTIME.

Garcia lives in nearby Riverside and is happy to be fighting so close to home.

“It’s been seven years since I last had the chance to fight here in LA, and that was even before I was champion,” stated Garcia. “Now after all of my accomplishments, I get to come home and put on a unification match for my local fans.”

The fight with Easter is an interesting clash of styles that will see Garcia, a classic boxer-puncher, try to find away around his opponent’s lanky style. Garcia, who is coming off of a victory over former champion Sergey Lipinets this past March, believes his time is still now.

“I think I’m in my prime right now,” the 30-year old stated. “I’m in the best shape physically and mentally that I’ve ever been in. I need to take advantage of the moment right now and take on the biggest challenges. I want to give the fans fights to remember. Those are the fights that excite me the most.

“I know Easter is very tall and has a longer reach than me,” Garcia added. “In the gym, we’ve been working on sparring partners who present different challenges and made adjustments from there. I have to catch him reaching in or put pressure and work my way inside. There are different things that I’m capable of doing.”

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Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com