CBS exposure gives Danny Garcia chance to rebrand reputation against Keith Thurman

Keith Thurman is marking another main-event appearance on network television, but it’s Danny Garcia who believes he can do the most with the opportunity.

As CBS announced Wednesday that it will televise the showdown of unbeaten welterweight champions Garcia and Thurman on March 4 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Garcia (33-0, 19 knockouts) of Philadelphia is given his most prominent forum yet to define his career.

“I’ll be at my best physically and mentally. Take one round at a time, make adjustments, get the victory,” Garcia told the The Times on Wednesday before he and Thurman appeared at a news conference at Barclays.

Winning on CBS “is very important to me. To know I’ve unified two of the hardest divisions in boxing would be a big stamp on my legacy as one of the best fighters. I’m excited for both me and my dad [trainer Angel Garcia]. We’re going to go out there on March 4 and show the world again how good we are.”

Though Florida’s Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) performed in the Premier Boxing Champions network-television debut on NBC in 2015 and then drew a peak of 3.9 million viewers with a 3.1-million average while defeating Shawn Porter by unanimous decision in June at Barclays, Garcia said he believes his resume is richer.

Asked if the intellectual Thurman is the smarter of the two, Garcia quickly responded, “Not at all.

“I know he’s coming to fight and I’m ready for whatever he’s got,” Garcia said. “I’ve beaten better fighters in my career. I’ve been the underdog and come out on top. I’ve been a unified champion. This is his hardest fight, this is his biggest step up. I’ve been here before.”

Later at the news conference Wednesday, Angel Garcia rushed at Thurman and had to be restrained after telling the World Boxing Assn. champion that Danny Garcia was going to “(mess) you up,” while repeating racial epithets that the elder Garcia formerly directed at Khan years ago at a Los Angeles news conference.

As a junior welterweight, Garcia knocked out Amir Khan after the Brit’s fight-of-the-year triumph over Marcos Maidana, and he later defeated hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse as an underdog.

Garcia drew 2.5 million viewers in the PBC’s debut card on Fox in February while winning the World Boxing Council welterweight belt over former two-division champion Robert Guerrero at Staples Center.

On Nov. 12, Garcia took a tuneup fight against Samuel Vargas, winning by seventh-round technical knockout in Philadelphia with Thurman assisting on the broadcast. Afterward, it became clear their bond as PBC stablemates means little as they heatedly discussed their future fight in the ring that night.

“I’ve never been his friend. We were just around each other being part of PBC, but I always knew it was just a matter of time being around the same weight class and now’s the time,” Garcia said.

The CBS exposure for Garcia can allow him to answer criticism that has festered among hard-core followers that Garcia takes too many favorable or one-sided matchups instead of repeatedly testing and proving himself as he’ll do with the talented Thurman.

“Every fighter in boxing has been protected in a way. Every single fighter,” Garcia said. “There’s no way you can fight all No. 1 contenders or a champion every fight. I’ve fought a lot of good fighters. I’ve beaten the guys I’m supposed to beat — whether they’re an A-, B- or C-class fighter. I look at it as ‘There’s a guy in my way, I’ve got to go beat him.’

“If people appreciate it, they do. If they don’t, it’s OK.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire