Gervonta Davis believes Ryan Garcia is making a mistake in not having a tune-up fight before their scheduled battle in the summer of 2023.
Davis and Garcia have finally agreed to meet in a blockbuster catchweight battle next year. The event will be a showstopper Pay Per View that both sides hope will get close to cracking the half-a-million sales benchmark.
However, “Tank” faces Hector Luis Garcia in January and says Garcia should have followed through with a planned bout against Mercito Gesta.
Gervonta Davis on Ryan Garcia
“I think Ryan Garcia’s being lazy not taking a fight before our fight. I don’t know,” said Davis.
“When he was coming up, he was in the gym and everything. Now he’s got some money and a little bit of fame. He’s partying and stuff like that.
“It happens to most of us, but it’s up to him to tighten up before it’s too late.”
He added: “I am hoping that the Ryan Garcia fight will open up doors for everyone to make more big fights. It also shows that I’m not ducking anybody.”
On the other Garcia currently occupying his mind, Davis is confident there’ll be no slip-ups before the mega-fight.
“Garcia is talking about getting the knockout, but we know he can just say that and end up fighting a different way,” stated the former Mayweather man.
“We don’t really know what’s going to happen until we get into the ring. I’m just locked in through the holidays.
“I’ll do some stuff with my kids, but other than that, I’m totally committed to this fight and training for it.”
Hector Garcia
Despite Hector Garcia being a warm-up for bigger events, Davis knows he has to be laser-focused on the job.
“Going into a fight, any opponent is dangerous. He’s training hard. I know that someone like [Héctor Luis] Garcia isn’t just someone stepping in. He’s been training for me for a long time,” pointed out the multi-weight champion.
“I can’t just go in there and try to knock everyone out immediately. But I have to show that I have more than just punching power. I have skills to go along with my boxing IQ.
“Héctor is a sound fighter who’s beat some top guys. He’s a durable guy who’s coming to fight. He’s undefeated, and he’s a great opponent.
“You can’t sleep on him. If you’re sleeping on him, he might put you to sleep.
“Every fight is a stepping stone toward what I want to do. I feel as though this fight with Héctor is an important piece in all of it.
“I have to perform well so everybody knows this is in their future,” Davis concluded.
