LAS VEGAS – Ryan Garcia again mocked one of Gervonta Davis’ accessories Tuesday.
Davis and Garcia agreed during an Instagram Live session Monday to bet their entire fight purses on the outcome of their 12-round, 136-pound bout Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Though actually wagering those enormous sums of money seems unlikely, Garcia clarified during his “grand arrival” that he meant money when he agreed to their bet, not the bag Garcia criticized Davis for carrying with him to their press conferences last month in New York and Beverly Hills.
“I just hope that he’s not talking about the purse he wears,” Garcia told Showtime’s announcer, Ray Flores, while standing on a stage in the MGM Grand lobby. “That’s all I’m worried about. We’re not talking about that purse you’re wearing. We’re talking about the whole fight purse. Let’s bring it on.”
A very confident Davis suggested the bet while they talked trash as part of influencer Kai Cenat’s Instagram Live session from Davis’ hotel suite.
“Yo, you wanna bet,” Davis asked Garcia, who replied, “Yeah, let’s do it. I’m down. Let’s do it. The whole purse.”
Davis confirmed, “The whole purse? Hold up – that’s a bet?”
Garcia responded, “Yes, let’s bet. You hear me on the Live. Let’s bet. For sure. Let’s go. Let’s make the contract. Let’s sign it, both of us, let’s do it – if you really want it.”
Davis promptly called one of his team members and asked him to contact his adviser, Al Haymon.
“Ask Al to write up a contract that the winner get, whoever wins get each other’s purse,” Davis said. “I’m dead serious. I’m dead-ass serious. We got Ryan on the line right now.”
Similar bets have been discussed during many fight weeks in the past, though it always amounted to promotional bluster before an event. There is no history of the losing boxer paying his entire purse thereafter, particularly purses in the seven figures.
Oddsmakers have installed Davis as more than a 2-1 favorite to beat Garcia in their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event. Baltimore’s Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) has won 18 of his past 19 bouts by knockout or technical knockout, whereas Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs), of Victorville, California, has knocked out six of his last seven opponents.
“When you get knocked out by me,” Garcia told Davis on Monday, “I don’t wanna hear you talk nothing. I just want you to say I’m sorry.”
Davis, 28, and Garcia, 24, will headline a four-fight pay-per-view broadcast scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT and 5 p.m. PDT. The card costs $84.99 if purchased through www.sho.com, www.PPV.com or cable/satellite providers.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.