Gervonta Davis is confident but he’s not stupid.
The undefeated lightweight candidate saw what Hector Luis Garcia did against Chris Colbert earlier this year. He wanted to make sure he didn’t suffer the same fate when he met the Dominican on pay-per-view on January 7 in Washington, D.C.
Garcia, relatively unknown at the time, stunned the boxing world when he easily overtook Colbert last February before beating Roger Gutierrez to claim the junior lightweight belt.
“Hector is a good boxer who has beaten some of the top players,” said Davis, who is about to beat Rolando Romero in the sixth round in May. “He is a tough guy who will fight. He’s undefeated and he’s a great opponent. You can’t sleep on him. If you’re sleeping on top of him, he can put you to sleep.
Indeed, Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) could be seen as a stepping stone for Davis and Ryan Garcia to agree to meet in a superfight next year but he’s not one to go easy on.
The 2016 Olympic athlete is a skilled, experienced boxer with an aggressive style that can take down even an elite opponent, as we saw in the match against Colbert.
The problem for Hector Luis Garcia can be twofold: He’s gaining weight, and Davis (27-0.25 KOs) punches a lot harder than Colbert, which could deter any tough opponent.
However, Davis has no plans to rush anything.
“I know that someone like Garcia is more than just an interloper,” Davis said. “He coached me for a long time. … I can’t go in there and try to knock everyone out at once.
“I have to prove that I have more than just punches. I have skills.”
No one trusted Davis more than longtime coach Calvin Ford.
Ford also respects Garcia but believes his famous protégé is ready to rise to the occasion, against both the Garcias and beyond.
“We have a tough task,” Ford said of the January 7 game. “This fight is more about the spirit than the physical. I think it’s similar to the match against Jose Pedraza (TKO 7) because Garcia is also an undefeated Olympic athlete and a world champion. We are just ready to go to the next level. …
“I have been with Gervonta since I was an amateur and now we are at the level where he is. I’m looking forward to seeing Gervonta put his mark on his brand as a boxer.”
