Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia will happen in the spring of 2023 in Las Vegas, provided one of the lightweight stars avoids jail.
Davis took care of Hector Garcia in Washington to make another defense of his WBA secondary lightweight title. The Baltimore native is now on a collision course with Golden Boy star Garcia.
Having delighted the 19,731 fans at the sold-out event inside the Capital One Arena, Davis again showed his prowess as a champion.
“Tank” methodically broke down the previously unbeaten Garcia. He hurt him badly with his vaunted left hand late in the eighth round.
Visibly shaken on his way back to the corner, Garcia stayed on his stool as the bell for round nine rang.
Moments later, his trainer Bob Santos advised referee Albert Earl Brown to stop the fight, with the official stoppage coming thirteen seconds into round nine.
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia
After the fight, Davis sent a message to his fellow unbeaten rival Garcia, as the two near a previously announced blockbuster clash this spring.
“God willing, I’m ready for the fight with Ryan Garcia,” said Davis. “It’s scheduled for April. I’m here.
“He’s been training. He’s been talking. And let’s see who’s really about that.”
Premier Boxing Champions have tentatively scheduled Davis vs Garcia for April 15th in Las Vegas. An official announcement should be made by the end of the month.
After leaving Floyd Mayweather pre-fight, Davis and his trainer Calvin Ford proved they could go it alone. The future looks bright for Davis if he doesn’t go to prison next month.
Possible jail time
The PBC fighter got involved in a hit-and-run accident in 2020. It’s taken almost three years for the incident to make it to court.
Revealing further details of a possible prison sentence, prosecutors denied a plea bargain from Davis that would see him avoid prison time.
Therefore, when the court proceedings get underway next month, Davis may have to include arrangements allowing him to fight Garica before serving any sentence.
Former handler Mayweather took a similar stance when facing Miguel Cotto in 2012. He bargained with the judge to allow his Las Vegas event to go ahead before reporting to prison soon after.
Add to that a battery arrest in Broward County over Christmas over a domestic violence charge. Boxing took a backseat to headlines of a derogatory nature before his latest win.
The collision would halt those headlines for a short period if Davis vs Garcia were announced. However, attention would then turn to how Davis will be able to follow through with the PPV if the world title holder gets handed the expected jail time next month.
