Danny Garcia hasn’t retired yet from boxing, but he’s starting his next career as a promoter

Danny Garcia trains two or three times a week at his boxing gym in Juniata Park, rides his Peloton bike at home in Montgomery County, runs on the treadmill, and jogs outside.

It’s as if Garcia, who won world titles in two weight classes, is preparing for a fight. Except it has been nearly two years since the 36-year-old stepped into the ring and a bout is not scheduled. Garcia is holding out for another fight night — he dreams of being a three-division champ — but knows retirement is near. And he’s already starting on his next chapter.

One of Philly’s all-time fighters now hopes to become Philly’s next big-time promoter. Garcia will promote his first boxing card in the city on Saturday at the 2300 Arena in South Philly, a venue where he won twice before becoming a star. His company — DSG Promotions — had its first show last month at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

“I always knew I was going to be a promoter,” Garcia said. “I just didn’t know when. I feel like the time is right right now. That’s why I pulled the trigger.”

Garcia was supposed to fight Erislandy Lara last summer for the WBA middleweight title and the chance to win a world championship at a third weight class. His first championship came at light welterweight before he became a welterweight titlist.

The Lara fight fell through after Showtime, which televised Garcia’s fights, left the boxing business. Garcia said he had four training camps last year as the fight seemed to keep getting rescheduled before being canceled. Instead of becoming a three-division champ, he remained inactive for 2023.

“I’ve been saying this for years. I want to be a three-division world champion,” Garcia said. “That’s why I was kind of let down when they pulled the plug on the fight. Two years of my career went past and I didn’t get to accomplish that goal. It kind of set me back a little, but at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason. When the time comes, I’ll be ready.”

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Garcia (37-3, 21 knockouts) will have a Hall of Fame case whenever he retires, and a title in another weight class would only increase his chances of being honored. A Philadelphia boxer has never won titles in three weight classes. Garcia hopes to be the first.

“That would be the history books. It’s right there in front of me. I just have to go out there and get it,” Garcia said. “My legacy is everything. That’s the only reason I want to fight. The money is good. People need money to eat. But money never drove me to fight. I always fought because I thought I was the best. That’s why if you look at my resumé, you’ll see the people I fought, it’s not because of the money. It’s because I thought I could beat them. ... The money is great. The money is a reward. But if you do what you love and you’re passionate about it, the money is going to be there. The money is going to come.”

Garcia stayed ready to fight last year but also began working on his promotional company. He signed fighters, booked arenas, and tried his hand at matchmaking. He has fought 40 times as a professional, but fight night felt different last month as a promoter.

“It was like you’re on the other side of the fence, basically,” Garcia said. “Usually, I’m ready to fight. I’m nervous. I’m warming up. But this time, I’m watching everyone else fight. It actually feels a lot better.”

Garcia was bored at home in 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic when his mind began to wander.

“I said, ‘What can I do that I’ve never done before?’”

The gym he built in 2013 sits on two lots on Jasper Street in Juniata Park. Maybe, Garcia thought, he could turn the empty lot into an apartment complex for his old neighborhood. He hired an architect, applied for permits, and sat on Zoom calls with the city to seek approval. It was ready to go in 2021. But the fighter who never shied away from a challenge in the ring changed his mind.

“I got cold feet at the end,” Garcia said. “I didn’t know if I was ready for that.”

He instead purchased a complex in Miami that was already built. For Garcia, it felt like less of a risk. But now he’s ready to try again. He plans to break ground later this year on a 16,500-square-foot complex with 15 units. The boxer-turned-promoter is also a real estate investor.

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“I feel like this is the perfect time to start rebuilding my neighborhood,” Garcia said.

As a kid, Garcia said he wondered why it seemed so many fighters ended up strapped for cash after their careers ended. Many fighters, Garcia said, didn’t understand how taxes worked, failed to invest, and could not resist a lavish lifestyle.

“It’s easy to do it,” Garcia said. “You’re a young kid in your early 20s and you’re making a million dollars. It takes a lot to be grounded. You’re not trying to hear anything at that point. You’re young and you’re rich. You’re arrogant. You think you know it all. I try to be different. I made my mistakes.”

He was determined to have a retirement plan. So Garcia bought real estate, invested in the stock market, and tried to save his money. His father, Angel, told him to do everything he wished he would have done himself.

“I just listened to Angel and it worked,” Garcia said. “The only thing I regret is that I didn’t invest more. I wish I would’ve invested all of it.”

His next project is another investment, but Garcia is looking for more than a return. He hopes it can boost a neighborhood that helped him become the tough-as-nails fighter who once kept fighting after a punch knocked his mouthpiece into the crowd.

“Hopefully they give me a key to the city one day,” Garcia said with a laugh. “I don’t know how much more I have to do. But it’s all good. I did a lot for my city. I brought championships back to my city. I’m trying to rebuild my community. I’ve been a role model for all the Puerto Rican kids in Philadelphia. Can I at least get a Danny Garcia day? Now it’s time for the city to start giving me something. This means a lot to me.”

Garcia’s last fight at the 2300 Arena was in 2010 against Mike Arnaoutis, who fought for a world title three years earlier and was eight years older. Garcia heard people say maybe the prospect wasn’t ready yet to fight such a game opponent. Garcia’s career was being rushed, they said. Garcia ignored it, knocked Arnaoutis out in the fourth round, and two years later became world champion.

His fight card at the 2300 Arena will not feature any world champions, but it will feature some of Philadelphia’s better young talent. Fighters like welterweight Johnny Rivera, who grew up in Garcia’s old neighborhood and became a national amateur champ just like Garcia. The 18-year-old Rivera (2-0, two knockouts) turned pro in April and is promoted by Garcia.

Garcia’s in-ring career is not yet finished and Rivera’s is just getting started. Garcia looks ready to fight as he never stopped training, but he’ll be guiding other careers on Saturday night in South Philly. Garcia already won his world titles and now he hopes to help Rivera win his own.

“He’s the next Danny Garcia,” Garcia said.