Gervonta Davis versus Ryan Garcia is a match.
Those are the words of Showtime chief executive Stephen Espinoza, who tweeted on Friday that the long-awaited pay-per-view match is “official” on April 22 in Las Vegas. Davis said on the same platform, “It’s on!”
No locations were mentioned. The possibilities are the T-Mobile Arena, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Raiders.
The bout is one of the biggest that can happen in boxing in terms of the popularity of the boxers, the elite fighters, and the massive following on social media.
So the lead up to the fight should be entertaining. And the knockouts of the artists are equally fascinating.
Davis (28-0.26 KO) is a former two-division world champion and 10th on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list. He is about to knock out the previously undefeated Hector Luis Garcia in the ninth round in January, a match seen as a correction for Garcia.
The “tank” pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run accident in January but won’t be sentenced until May, which means his legal troubles shouldn’t have interfered with the fight.
Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) opted out of a hectic matchup. He last fought last June, when he stopped Javier Fortuna in six innings.
Davis and Garcia agreed to a catch of 136 pounds, slightly over the one-weight limit.
