LAS VEGAS – Ryan Garcia stood beside a young leukemia patient when he arrived at MGM Grand on Tuesday afternoon.
Inspired by the brutal battle waged by one of his biggest fans, Garcia promised to deliver an unforgettable performance against Gervonta Davis in the biggest fight of their careers Saturday night. Garcia didn’t mention a specific round, but the slight underdog predicted that the dangerous Davis would wind up on the wrong end of an abrupt, stunning conclusion for a change in their 12-round, 136-pound fight at T-Mobile Arena.
“In a blink of an eye, it’ll be finished,” Garcia told Showtime’s emcee, Ray Flores. “That’s what’s gonna happen April 22nd. In the blink [of an] eye, it’s gone and everybody will be shocked. Nobody will have anything to say. No words will be spoken. We just have to watch and see. That’s what’s gonna happen April 22nd.”
The 28-year-old Davis predicted a knockout of his own when made his way to MGM Grand’s lobby for their publicity event.
“I mean, you gotta tune in,” Davis said. “It’s something that you don’t wanna miss. Definitely gonna put my works in and hopefully he come ready. If not, it’ll be an early night.”
The Baltimore native has knocked out 93 percent of his professional opponents (28-0, 26 KOs). The WBA’s secondary lightweight champion has beaten 18 of his past 19 opponents by knockout or technical knockout.
The taller, rangier Garcia is a punishing puncher in his own right. Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) has won six of his past seven bouts by knockout or TKO.
The 24-year-old Garcia, of Victorville, California, also reminded fans assembled for their “grand arrivals” that he was the one who pushed for this fight to finally happen.
“This moment is one that we’ve been preparing for for a long time and we’re ready to conquer it,” Garcia said. “Gervonta, I’ll just say something, he’s a great fighter. I wanna make that very clear. He’s a great fighter. But he cannot stop what’s gonna happen Saturday night. He’s not gonna stop me. He may be a great fighter, but I’m just gonna have something he cannot defeat. Nobody in this room could stop what’s gonna happen April 22nd. Gervonta will be done, but I want him to learn a good lesson after this victory.”
Most sportsbooks have Davis listed as more than a 2-1 favorite to win their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event. Their fight, which will be contested at a contracted catch weight one pound above the lightweight limit, will headline a four-fight telecast scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT and 5 p.m. PDT ($84.99).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.