Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia is thought to be basically a done deal for April 15, but “basically” is no guarantee in boxing.
Garcia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya got the contract from the other side earlier this week, not long after threatening to “move on” from the bout, and De La Hoya spoke with The DAZN Boxing Show (sign up at DAZN.com) about where the situation is at right now.
“We have the contract in our possession, and it’s a long form. It’s very detailed. We are just gonna have to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, that’s basically it,” he said.
“Can I confirm? Obviously not, until it’s official-official, but as a fighter, as a promoter, as a fan that wants to see the fight, I can assure you this fight’s going to happen.
“Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis, I’m telling you, they haven’t wanted an opponent the way they want each other. They just want to go out there, because all the talking, and all the crap, the bullshit this-and-that, has been going back-and-forth for quite a while. Now it’s time to put your money where, you know, where it’s at.”
De La Hoya added that both fighters are beginning their training camps and they’re getting ready to “rev up the engines” for the promotional tour, which will, you know, be a few press conferences or whatever.
On what he thought of Davis’ win over Hector Luis Garcia
“I thought it was a solid performance, given the fact that (Garcia) was champion, given his past performances, given the fact that he’s a bigger guy. But I was surprised how at times, Gervonta had difficulties keeping him off or catching him. He was getting tagged a few times. I’m not saying his opponent wasn’t at the elite level, but he’s not at Ryan’s level.
“When I see Gervonta fight, I love the guy. He’s the most explosive, entertaining fighter out there today, and that’s why he sells arenas. But when he’s gonna face Ryan Garcia, who’s a big kid who hits like a mule with both fists, who is fast as hell, who is gonna fight tall, who is gonna keep his range and his distance, it’s gonna be a good fight, it’s gonna be a great fight.
“I think the fact that Gervonta is aggressive is gonna make for an entertaining fight. Ryan holds his spirit in his heart, he carries it on his shoulders. This fight is gonna be a war, man, a lot of energy, a lot of good energy inside the arena, inside the ring. It’s gonna be one of those special fights, special events for boxing.”
On when he felt Ryan Garcia was ready for Davis
“It’s just the evolution of the fighter, all he needed was time. Every fight is a growing process, every fight is a learning process. You learn something new every single minute every time you’re in the ring, whether it’s a one-minute fight or whether it’s a 12-round fight, you’re learning constantly, growing.
“Ryan is right there, he’s fighting the very best now. That’s what people wanted. He’s ready. He’s ready. I know there’s a video of me saying, ‘Man, Gervonta Davis is dangerous [to Garcia], he’s this or that,’ but that was, like, three or four years ago.”
On whether Garcia’s defense has improved
“Yeah, he knows exactly what he has to do, he knows what he has to correct, he knows what he has to use in the fight, and that’s gonna be the secret weapon. He’s fast, he’s powerful, he’s explosive, and I think Ryan Garcia’s work ethic is by far one of the very best. You see this guy, he’s always in great shape, he trains hard.
“He’s gonna be up for this fight. There’s no bigger fight out there for him now. Therefore, we will see the best of Ryan Garcia.”