Ryan Garcia targeting Gervonta Davis after Javier Fortuna bout

Ryan Garcia is in good spirits ahead of his July 16 boxing bout against Javier Fortuna. He’s looking forward to Gervonta Davis after Fortuna. 

Ryan Garcia returns to the boxing ring on Saturday, July 16, against Javier Fortuna at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. While Fortuna is Garcia’s next opponent, Garcia is eyeing a future showdown with WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.

Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs) is among the most promising young boxing talents. The 23-year-old from L.A. is young, undefeated, incredibly fast, and has impressive power. His bout against Fortuna is his second in 2022. He defeated Emmanuel Tagoe in April via unanimous decision.

Before the Tagoe bout, Garcia was out of boxing for 15 months. Garcia has been open and honest about his mental health struggles. He elaborated on how he’s dealt with the stress of a high-profile career during a media call on Thursday, June 30.

“I have been taking steps with surrounding myself with people who want the best for me,” Garcia said. “People that will not contribute stress and pressure on my life. I am focusing on what keeps me happy and what songs keep me happy.”

Since he defeated Luke Campbell in 2021, Garcia has switched trainers. He was working with Canelo Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso but is now training with Joe Goossen.

Watch Ryan Garcia vs. Javier Fortuna on Saturday, July 16, on DAZN at 8 p.m. ET

“Joe’s consistency and his work ethic never misses a beat,” Garcia said to FanSided on the media call. “He is always looking to improve or find a way to better your game. He is there all the time. His worth ethic is unmatched.”

Garcia had a solid showing against Tagoe in his first fight with Goossen in his corner but look for improvement from Garcia against Fortuna. Fortuna (37-3-1. 26 KOs) is a skilled veteran and two-time world champion but does have vulnerabilities.

Fortuna’s most recent loss came in 2021 to Jojo Diaz via decision in 2021, but he won his next bout against Rafael Hernandez by round 1 KO in February.

Despite Fortuna’s championship background, Garcia feels confident that he will beat Fortuna.

“I am a great fighter,” Garcia said. “I am going to show you the difference between me and Jojo Diaz and Robert Easter Jr. Nothing is guaranteed, but I am 99.999% confident I will take Fortuna out early.”

Garcia wasn’t shy about who he would like to fight next if successful against Fortuna. He had one name on his mind–Gervonta Davis.

“I think it’s pretty obvious where we are headed once we pass Fortuna,” Garcia said. “I am going to campaign for the fight against Gervonta Davis. We want to be transparent about the process to prove to the people that we want this fight. I try to find ways to exploit the truth and clear the fog.”

Garcia is calling his shot against Davis, who is also undefeated and one of the best young boxers in the world. Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) stopped Rolly Romero in round 6 in May. He was signed to Mayweather Promotions but is currently a promotional free agent.

Garcia vs. Davis has the potential to do big pay-per-view numbers. Garcia said during the media call that he sees Davis as the best lightweight in the world other than himself. Hopefully, we will get the blockbuster matchup between Garcia and Davis, but Garcia needs to take care of business against Fortuna first.