Does Danny Garcia Get Preferential Treatment?

Sometimes, one just has to wonder.

With just days to go before he steps into the ring with fellow junior welterweight Lamont Peterson, Danny Garcia probably has a lot to pleased with. He appears to be something of a crown jewel in adviser Al Haymon's collection of notable fighters, after all.

For he's been promoted well, he's been matched to his advantage (excessively so) in the recent past, he's arguably gotten a controversial nod (against Mauricio Herrera) and now he doesn't even  need to make weight in order to fight Peterson on Saturday.

Oh, and lets not forget that Garcia's titles aren't at risk either. The IBF has reported that it will strip Peterson of his version of the junior welterweight championship should he lose on Saturday. As of this writing, I've learned of no such judgments from  the WBA and WBC, whose respective junior welterweight belts Garcia holds.

So yeah, it's safe to at least wonder aloud if Garcia is getting the favorite son treatment. Another unsettling question, however, is whether or not Garcia will get preferential treatment on Saturday.

If all goes well, the Garcia-Peterson bout will be a top level affair, with both men showcasing their considerable skill set. Say what you will about Garcia, the kid from Philly is nothing if not talented. Then again, so is Washington DC's own Peterson.

Hopefully the conclusion of Saturday's bout, which will be aired live on network television, will be definitive and non-controversial. For if Garcia somehow gets all the good calls from the ref or receives another decision of the Mauricio Herrera variety, the questions will continue being asked - only in a louder tone.

That won't be good for boxing - and it won't be good for Garcia, either. In fairness, it's worth noting that there's no evidence out there indicating such things will happen. Hopefully fans will have nothing to worry about when all is said and done.

Monday Update:

Well, it seems fans had something to worry about, after all. For Garcia won what many feel was a gift decision over Peterson on Saturday. Peterson mastered Garcia in the ring, no doubt, but Garcia's more or less ineffective aggression was apparently enough for the judges. It was a close fight, true, yet it was clear who the better fighter was.

And so we beat on...