Gervonta Davis returns to the ring as he takes on Hector Luis Garcia ahead of his proposed spring showdown against Ryan Garcia: Everything to know before the fight
Gervonta Davis makes his return to the ring this weekend against fellow southpaw Hector Luis Garcia in what boxing fans hope will be just the first Garcia he fights in 2023.
‘Tank’ is provisionally scheduled to square off against long-term rival Ryan Garcia later this year, but he will first defend his WBA ‘regular’ lightweight belt against the current WBA super-featherweight champion.
Hector Luis Garcia, at 16-0, will be no easy touch, but multi-weight world champion Davis is expected to make it 28 victories without reply in Washington DC.
Gervonta Davis makes his return to the ring this weekend against fellow southpaw Hector Luis Garcia in what boxing fans hope will be just the first Garcia he fights in 2023
Super featherweight boxer Hector Luis Garcia poses on the scale during an official weigh-in at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on February 25
Ahead of what is widely deemed a tune-up bout for Davis, the 28-year-old was arrested in Florida on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, before a woman identifying herself as the mother of his child then retracted the allegations.
Davis had been accused of striking a woman with a ‘closed hand-type slap’ and leaving her with an abrasion on her lip. He still faces a misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm, though Vanessa Posso, a social media influencer who sells jewelry on her own website, insisted Davis ‘did not harm me our or our daughter.’
At Thursday’s press conference ahead of the bout, Davis insisted he was never ‘worried’ about this weekend’s bout being axed. ‘I just wanted to clear my name. That’s it. That’s it,’ he said.
With this weekend’s bout now swiftly approaching, Sportsmail takes you through everything you need to know.
Davis had been accused of striking a woman with a ‘closed hand-type slap’ and leaving her with an abrasion on her lip. He still faces a misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm, though Vanessa Posso, a social media influencer who sells jewelry on her own website, insisted Davis ‘did not harm me our or our daughter’
When is Gervonta Davis v Hector Luis Garcia?
The clash between Davis and Garcia is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
The pair are expected to walk to the ring at around 4am for those in the UK, though that will of course depend on results beforehand.
There is also an abundance of action on the undercard, with Jaron Ennis and Demetrius Andrade on show.
How to watch the fight
The fight will be broadcast live on FiteTV for those in the UK and Ireland, with the event costing £8.99
Those Stateside can can watch the event on Showtime PPV, which will cost $74.99.
Sportsmail will also be covering the fight live, so you can keep up-to-date with us.
Davis (left) and Garcia (right) are pictured head of Saturday’s lightweight bout
Davis vs Garcia: The key stats
Gervonta Davis
Age: 28
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5-foot-5.5
Reach: 67.5′
Record: 27-0-0
Knockouts: 25
Rounds: 114
Debut: 2013
Hector Luis Garcia
Age: 31
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5foot-9
Reach: 67′
Record: 16-0-0
Knockouts: 10
Rounds: 91
Debut: 2017
Fight card
- Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia
- Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian
- Rashidi Ellis vs. Roiman Villa
- Demetrius Andrade vs. Demond Nicholson
What’s been said?
Davis has insisted he has been able to remain fully focused on the task at hand having been arrested in December.
‘[The goal was] just to try to stay focused,’ Davis said on Thursday. ‘Don’t ever let anything, you know what I mean, try to get you off your game plan.
‘Maybe it was the devil or something trying to knock me off my pivot. You know what I mean? So, I just wanna stay focused. Again, keep my head slightly down and just remain focused on the main goal.
‘It had me a little shaken up, as far as, you know what I mean, I just wanted to clear my name. But other than that, I’m fully focused on the main course.’
Davis has also insisted Ryan Garcia is definitely next. However, the fight with the 24-year-old is also threatened by the legal battle Davis faces in Baltimore on a hit-and-run allegation. His trial in that case is set to start on February 16 in Baltimore Circuit Court.
Garcia pretends to land a punch on Davis at a press conference promoting Saturday’s bout
