Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia preview & prediction

WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis faces WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia this Saturday live on Showtime PPV.

Boxing is wasting no time in 2023 as the first weekend in the year features an event that will take place live from the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (27-0) takes on WBA super featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia (16-0) live on Showtime PPV. The event was in jeopardy last week as Davis was mixed up with some legal issues, but that looks like it has been cleared up for now, as the accuser clarified what occurred the night of the incident.

We now have an intriguing fight as Garcia appears to be a live dog in this one. With over 300 amateur fights under his belt, the 31-year-old Garcia from the Dominican Republic looks to upset the apple card on Saturday night. Can Garcia shock the world and derail the plans for ‘Tank’ to fight the other (Ryan) Garcia in what looks to be a super fight in April? He certainly can, as Garcia came out of nowhere and made a name for himself almost overnight on boxing’s mainstream.

In February, Garcia was a late replacement and faced super featherweight contender Chris Colbert (16-1), which was supposed to be a stepping stone for Colbert as he was closing in on a title shot. Garcia had other plans, and not only did he knock down Colbert for the first time in his career, but he also gave him his first loss as Garcia earned a decision victory.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia will be streaming live on Showtime PPV ($74.99)

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With that victory, Garcia received a title shot six months later against then-champion Roger Gutierrez (26-4-1). Once again, Garcia came into the fight as the underdog but proved that his win over Colbert was no fluke and earned another decision victory to become the WBA super featherweight champion. After the fight, Garcia called out Davis, and although that can land on deaf ears, this time it didn’t, and Garcia now has the shot of a lifetime to prove he is a great fighter that belongs on the list of boxing’s best.

‘Tank’ Davis wasn’t as busy as Garcia, but that doesn’t matter for the 28-year-old southpaw from Baltimore, MD. He is one of boxing’s youngest stars who has a significant place within pop culture, which brings the likes of Madonna and other A-listers to his fights. Stars, athletes, and pop-culture influencers come out in droves to see Davis do what he does best: knock out his opponents. Although pure pugilism is something fans appreciate, knockouts will always bring the crossover appeal that fighters desire to elevate their profile among athletes of all sports.

That level of excitement isn’t easy to come by, but Davis certainly has it and if you need proof of that, look no further than May when he fought Rolando Romero (14-1) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. In front of a sellout crowd, Davis delivered what everyone who purchased a ticket was expecting: a savage knockout. Although it seemed like Romero was getting the better of Davis, a careless moment in the sixth round by Romero caused him to get countered and knocked out. Once again, Davis gave the internet a knockout clip that went viral adding to his star level status.

After severing ties with his longtime promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr., Davis is now on his own, and GTD Promotions will be promoting his fights moving forward, starting with Saturday night. Although the fight with (Ryan) Garcia is on the horizon, Davis felt the need to have an interim fight and have it held in Washington, DC, which is close to his home in Baltimore, MD.

Now that we know how we got here, how did this fight play out? Garcia is a southpaw, just like Davis, but he is more of a boxer than anything else. Like Garcia, fighters with a deep amateur background are known to be harder to deal with as they have seen every style you can think of while competing internationally. Garcia is conscious of space and angles, which will be an advantage for him in this fight as Davis’ past few opponents haven’t had the experience that Garcia possesses. Garcia will have to be slick and not allow himself to get caught up in the moment or fall asleep, as it doesn’t take much for Davis to capitalize on a mistake. Garcia cannot get into lengthy heated exchanges as he leaves himself defenseless at times, and Davis can certainly counter him, which would end the night in a hurry.

‘Tank’ Davis has to put pressure on early and force Garcia to get reckless. He cannot afford to drop all the early rounds in hopes of waiting for Garcia to make a mistake later in the fight. Davis did that in the Isaac Cruz (24-2-1) fight, which resulted in an injured hand and almost cost him the fight. Davis has to think in there, use that right jab to the body and cut off the ring so he can do what ‘Tank’ does best, which is knock his opponent out.

Like all of Davis’ fights, this one will have you on the edge of your seat. I can see Garcia taking the early rounds as Davis processes everything that is happening. Garcia will get overconfident in the eighth or ninth round, and that’s when ‘Tank’ will land a crushing left hook, ending the fight. Davis will light up the arena, and the anticipation of him against (Ryan) Garcia will send social media into a frenzy and may even break the internet.