Ryan Garcia’s prayers were officially answered not too long ago. After pacing back and forth and demanding a crack against Gervonta Davis, the 24-year-old will finally be given his wish.
On April 22nd, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the California native and the powerful southpaw will formally lock horns at a catchweight of 136 pounds.
Of course, in Davis, Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) faces an uncommon force of nature. In addition to his calm demeanor, Davis thoroughly enjoys dragging his opponents to the deep end before violently drowning them.
Up until this point, Garcia has garnered acclaim thanks to his good looks, fast hands, and deadly knockout power. But while those attributes have been enough for Garcia to become a social media sensation, prognosticators are convinced that Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will take him to a place that he’s never been before.
When last seen, California’s Garcia was busy making it look incredibly easy against Javier Fortuna. Although his explosive performance last July earned the approval of a roaring and vivacious crowd, Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, isn’t looking at his fighter’s past in order to predict the future.
Considering where Garcia has been before, there’s undeniable pressure to prove that he belongs in the ring with someone of Davis’ ilk. Ultimately, De La Hoya firmly believes that Garcia has done a masterful job building both his name and skills. But, with the biggest bout of his life slowly approaching, the longtime promoter urges his fighter to go a step a further if he truly wants his hand raised on the 22nd of April.
“He’s right where he should be,” said De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV recently. “This is the moment to shine. This is the moment to do something special. On this stage, against this type of fighter with Gervonta who is the best, who is undefeated, who is young, who is a lion. It’s time to do something special. It’s time to step it up.”
By Hans Themistode