Photos: Danny Garcia Continues Hard Grind For Vargas Bout

Welterweight world champion Danny Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) will make his first appearance in his native Philadelphia since 2010 as he takes on Colombia's Samuel Vargas (25-2-1, 13 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Saturday, November 12 from Temple University's Liacouras Center. The bout will be Garcia's final hurdle before a planned massive showdown with unbeaten champion Keith "One Time" Thurman scheduled for the first quarter of 2017. Photos by Joe Tarlecky.

In keeping with his desire to give back to the community, Garcia is teaming up with Philabundance, the region's largest hunger relief organization, to arrange a regional food drive, collecting most-needed items, such as tuna and vegetables. Fans are being encouraged to drop off canned goods at the Liacouras Center (1776 N Broad St) and the DSG Boxing Gym (3731 Jasper St). Additionally, $10 from each ticket sold will be donated and provide 20 meals per ticket for people in need. 

Garcia, a two-division world champion, will battle Vargas in a 10-round non-title bout in his first fight since his exciting win over Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero in January. Garcia insisted on staging the fight in his hometown and using the event as a vehicle to raise awareness and money for the less fortunate in the area. 

Televised coverage on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DSG Promotions and King's Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35 and are on sale. To purchase tickets visit LiacourasCenter.com/events or call 800-298-4200.

Garcia returns to headline in his hometown as a two-division world champion who has picked up major victories over top fighters including Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah on his way to 31 professional victories. The 28-year-old earned a vacant welterweight world title in his last bout when he won a toe-to-toe battle with former world champion Guerrero in Los Angeles taking his professional record to 32-0.

The 27-year-old Vargas enters this bout on a five-fight win streak including three stoppage victories including his most recent outing, a 10-round decision over Juan Armando Garcia in May. Born in Columbia, his family left to find a better life when he was 15 years old and after a brief stay in New York City, they moved to the Toronto suburb of Mississauga.

Vargas enrolled at a boxing gym early on and learned discipline while adapting to his surroundings. He turned pro in 2010 after just 12 amateur bouts and was undefeated in his first 16 fights while fighting out of Canada.