Let the trash talk begin.
Ryan Garcia wastes no time predicting what will happen when he meets rival Gervonta Davis in the spring in Las Vegas, assuming both fighters win the interim skirmishes and Davis pulls through. Legal issues.
Garcia is happy to be a part of this event. And he couldn’t be more confident.
“This is the fight I want and this is the fight boxing needs,” he said. “The hype, the plot, the two athletes who define their sport inside and out of the ring. I will knock out Tank and become the face of our incredible sport, and I will bring with me a new generation of boxing fans.
“I appreciate Tank volunteering to be defeated so I can go to work.”
Davis (27-0.25 KOs) and Garcia (23-0.19 KOs) intend to meet in a non-belt match in the 136-pound weight class, reported in April, if Davis defeats the 130-pound belt holder Hector Garcia on January 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC and Garcia won a match that has yet to be announced.
Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs) stunned the boxing world by easily dismissing hot prospect Chris Colbert in February and then winning Roger Gutierrez’s WBA belt by one-way decision in August.
However, gaining weight to confront a boxer as capable as Davis will be a tough challenge for the 31-year-old Dominican boxer.
Davis is also scheduled to stand trial on December 12 for a November 2020 hit-and-run charge.
The 28-year-old from Baltimore was a two-time 130-pound champion, who also won minor titles in the 135th and 140th, winning 5-0 (5 KOs) in the championship matches. He gave up all his belts.
He’s coming out of the sixth round knockout Rolando Romero at 135 last May. That followed a unanimous decision on stubborn Isaac Cruz in December, a match Davis said he fought with an injured hand.
Garcia, 24, took a break from boxing last year for mental health treatment but has since returned. beat Emmanuel Tagoe (UD) and The formidable Javier Fortuna (KO 6) in April and July in 140-pound matches, respectively.
The Los Angeles area boxer’s biggest victory came in January of last year, when he knock out 2012 Olympic champion Luke Campbell for seven rounds at 135.
