Davis vs. Garcia Preview
One of the most anticipated fights of 2023 is going down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 22. The fight will be taking place at a catchweight of 136 pounds between WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and former WBC interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia.
Davis (28-0, 26 KO) is coming off an eight round TKO of Hector Garcia in January to retain the WBA regular lightweight title for the fourth time. The 28-year-old has been a three weight world champion, but Garcia represents the biggest win of his career.
The Baltimore native knows what is at stake on Saturday. “This means everything,” Davis said. “We are putting everything on the line. Coming from where I come from, this is big. I witnessed Floyd Mayweather and all the top guys fight in Las Vegas. This is the top-level. I’m ready.
“My first goal was to win a belt. I never thought I would be in Las Vegas having a big fight. This is a dream come true. I won’t let my people down.”
Davis addressed the heavy back and forth of trash-talk between the two fighters. “I think he’s trying to hype himself to get into the fight when he talks about knocking me out in two rounds,” Davis said. “I don’t think he really believes that.”
There was an attempt to make the fight a winner take all purse, but Davis says Garcia’s camp would not commit. “I'm definitely trying to make it official,” said Davis. “His advisor called begging that we don't make that happen. He was scared.”
Davis has key victories in his career over Isaac Cruz, Mario Barrios, Leo Santa Cruz, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Liam Walsh and Jose Pedraza. A win on Saturday will set up the champion for bigger paydays and set him apart as one of the best pound for pound boxers on Earth, in any weight class.
Garcia (23-0, 19 KO) is coming off a sixth round KO of Javier Fortuna in July. The 24-year-old will be facing the toughest challenge of his young career on Saturday. A win will put him among the boxing elite, but a loss will put the California native in a precarious position for big money fights despite entering the fight undefeated.
Garcia represents the new generation of fighter who is known more by a larger audience as a social media influencer and less as a professional boxer. So every loss counts against his popularity as an influencer and not as much as a professional boxing title threat.
Despite what the boxing world thought should happen, Garcia wanted this fight with Davis. “I had a mission, and I had a vision to fight Gervonta Davis, and to bring the fans what they really wanted to see,” Garcia said. “I made it happen. That’s what I’m happy about more than anything in life right now.”
Garcia knows what a win over Davis means for his future. “This one feels like it counts,” Garcia said. “The other ones don’t feel like they count. Because, after I win, it’s, ‘Are you going to fight Gervonta or not?’ Now, I’m fighting Gervonta. So, this one, you can’t say nothing after. Now, I’m in the driver’s seat. You can’t say anything now. There’s nothing left to say. All you have to do is accept that this man is on the road to greatness and let’s enjoy the ride.”
The Main Card can be seen on Showtime PPV
