Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia will trade blows in Las Vegas late, delayed, and 13 days before the former goes to prison.
Despite Oscar De La Hoya continually stating the fight will be confirmed by specific dates, it took a meaningful effort to seal the deal.
Boxing was declared at a crisis point after yet another encounter the fans want to happen threatened to fall apart. However, Davis vs Garcia got rubberstamped on Friday, five days after De La Hoya stated it would be.
On three occasions, the Golden Boy boss teased by saying he expected confirmation to occur on a specific date. All three times, it didn’t happen.
The fourth time, he didn’t even say it was on.
Last Saturday at Fox Theater, De La Hoya said he hoped Davis and Garcia would proclaim signed contracts for the fight via Instagram. He gave an expected Monday date but added that Tuesday was the cut-off point for the deal.
De La Hoya made a similar last month before a rematch clause became the problem.
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia is on
For a third occasion, that deadline has passed. The scenario left fans in the dark as to why the fight was still not signed after months of negotiations.
Gladly, everything is agreed upon for a Showtime/DAZN Pay Per View bout in Las Vegas on April 22. The biting of fingernails is over despite a week delay to the initial date.
Baltimore native Davis had to fight before May 5. This is due to Tank getting sentenced for a hit-and-run crash misdemeanor with expected jail time.
A pregnant woman was injured in a mid-November accident in 2020. It adds to a domestic violence charge of battery for a separate incident.
The whole scenario meant it was now or never for Davis.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said that the state of play between promoters and their failure to work together affects everyone in the sport.
“It’s time for fight fans to get the fights they want to see to be confirmed and promoted,” said Sulaiman. “So many great ones have been delayed for various reasons.
“It is incorrect to say that there are culprits since many factors are involved in big promotions. But it is high time to demand that everyone involved agree and make them happen.
“It also complicates the administration of world championships, creating a highly complex scenario for fights. [This happens] When one boxer is with one company and the other fighter has signed for another.
“This is the time to turn it around. To bury the hatchets and make the fights.”
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia can be put to one side as one that finally happened.