Someone had to be first.
The idea of a “fab four” for a new generation is something any boxing fan could get excited about. As Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez made their way up the ranks, they were linked by the possibilities and potential they presented for the future.
Davis has emerged as one of the biggest ticket sellers in the world with two major titles at Jr. lightweight and wins from Jr. lightweight to Jr. welterweight. Lopez won and lost the lineal lightweight crown and will next challenge for the lineal Jr. welterweight throne. Haney now reigns as undisputed lightweight champion.
That’s a good start for any era.
What we have yet to see is a clash between any of that future four. Saturday night (Showtime PPV/DAZN, 8 PM EST), chapter one arrives.
In a non-title affair just above the lightweight limit, Davis and Garcia will put their undefeated marks on the line in the most anticipated fight so far in 2023. This has been a strong year for boxing so far, rich with quality matchmaking, exciting outcomes, and recently some healthy upsets. This weekend, we get matchmaking and ballyhoo, the marquee event to kick this year into another gear.
Davis is older, more experienced, and devastating. Garcia is lightning quick, audacious, and dangerous. Davis is facing his fifth opponent in six starts ranked in the top ten of their weight class; Garcia is facing his fourth straight. Now they’ve got each other. Will the fight live up to the moment?
Let’s get into it.
Stats and Stakes
Gervonta Davis
Age: 28
Titles: None*
Previous Titles: IBF Super Featherweight (2017, 1 Defense); WBA Super Featherweight (2018-19, 2 Defenses; 2020-21)
Height: 5’5 ½
Weight: 135 lbs.
Stance: Southpaw
Hails from: Baltimore, Maryland
Record: 28-0, 26 KO
Press Rankings: #1 (TBRB), #2 (Ring, BoxRec), #3 (ESPN)
Record in Major Title Fights: 6-0, 6 KO (11-0, 10 KO including WBA sub-titles)
Last Five Opponents: 115-2-2 (.975)
Notable Outcomes, Ring/TBRB Rated Foes: Jose Pedraza TKO7; Leo Santa Cruz KO6; Mario Barrios TKO11; Isaac Cruz UD12; Hector Garcia TKO9
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Hugo Ruiz KO1; Yuriorkis Gamboa TKO12
*Holds WBA sub-title at lightweight, attempting 5th defense; also held WBA sub-title at Jr. welterweight in 2021
Vs.
Ryan Garcia
Age: 24
Title/Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’10
Weight: 135 ½ lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Los Angeles, California
Record: 23-0, 19 KO
Rankings: #3 (TBRB, Ring), #6 (BoxRec); #6 at 140 (ESPN)
Record in Major Title Fights: N/A
Last Five Opponents: 135-10-3 (.922)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Luke Campbell TKO7; Emanuel Tagoe UD12; Javier Fortuna KO6
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None
The Case for Davis: Gervonta Davis enters the ring on the strongest run of his career, dating to his one-punch knockout of Leo Santa Cruz. Davis has shown maturity and patience to go with the explosive power that has made him a crowd favorite. Davis can appear to be a slow starter at times, but is that really the case? Davis tends to use opening rounds to gauge distance and timing before picking up the pace of his offense. In other words, he might already be winning fights even if he’s letting a few rounds go. Shorter, of height and arm, than many opponents, Davis’s ability to measure range before opening up his attacks is critical. Sometimes that means taking a few shots, and against Garcia that will carry danger. Against both Mario Barrios and Rolly Romero, Davis showed the ability to mitigate naturally larger foes while working the body and using his feet to create position to exploit openings. Garcia still has tendencies to pull straight back and few fighters are as good at exploiting defensive lapses as Davis. Davis has been harder to catch clean as fights progress and if he avoids (or survives) early left hooks from Garcia, Davis can end matters with authority.
The Case for Garcia: Garcia, like Davis, is entering on the best run of his career. Garcia cemented his place as a real contender with his off the floor knockout of Luke Campbell. To his credit, Garcia responded to the knockdown with poise and used his tremendous hand speed to demand control of the contest. Garcia will have the height and reach edge in this contest and while his right hand is better than it might get credit for, the ball game on Saturday is what Garcia can do with his left. Garcia can release the shot long or short and at angles that can be hard to anticipate. As the fight progresses, will Garcia have the focus to stay defensively responsible and set up a pressing Davis? Disguising the left won’t be easy; Davis knows it’s coming. For Garcia, the question is if he can find the right moments to get it in between the guard. If he can, Garcia may have the edge in hand speed and the chance to contain Davis for stretches on the outside and win rounds multiplies even if the knockout doesn’t come.
The Pick: The questions about catchweights and rehydration clauses are good fodder for social media but they’d probably have more impact if Garcia wasn’t so young. At 24, given a long time to prepare and having fought only twice above 135 pounds, it’s probably much ado about nothing. The bigger questions are whether Garcia’s inactivity and relative lack of professional experience will be a factor.
They might be.
While their number of fights isn’t wildly different, Davis has been in the title picture for more than five years and seen a deeper pool of veterans and styles. None of those can prepare a chin if Garcia lands that big left, but Garcia has never been in with a fighter who has the concussion threats in both hands that Davis possesses. The smart pick for this fight is that after some early round success for Garcia, Davis begins to time him and cover the distance needed to land heavy leather. Garcia is as ready as he’s going to be for Saturday. Davis is more ready. The smart pick is the pick here; let’s say Davis in eight or nine of a fun fight.
Additional Weekend Picks
Joe Cordina Dec. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov
Rold Picks 2023: 16-4
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com