bet365's American boxing expert Jake Donovan looks ahead to the this weekend's hugely-anticipated WBA lightweight championship showdown in Washington D.C.

Hector Luis Garcia needn’t worry about commanding the undivided attention of Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.

Much has been made over the possibility of Davis (1/16) looking beyond this weekend’s WBA ‘Regular’ lightweight title fight and onto a blockbuster showdown with California’s Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19KOs). 

The matchup that most fans hoped to get next instead carries a targeted time frame of this spring, with Davis’s focus placed squarely on the actual Garcia, a big 15/2 outsider, directly in his path.  

“We’re not sleeping on this guy,” Davis said of Dominican Republic’s Garcia. “I know we have two fights lined up, but I’m only focused on this one.”

Davis (27-0, 25KOs) has restricted his commentary to social media exchanges regarding any thoughts on the looming super fight with Ryan Garcia, as the two continuously trade barbs through Twitter. 

Any fight talk has been limited to the assignment ahead of the 28-year-old Baltimore, Maryland native, who headlines a Showtime Pay-Per-View from Capital One Arena in nearby Washington D.C.

The fierce-punching southpaw will attempt the fourth defence of the WBA ‘Regular’ lightweight title that he’s held since a December 2019 12th round knockout of Yuriorkis Gamboa in Atlanta, Georgia. 

He previously held two different versions of the junior lightweight crown along with a brief stay as a WBA ‘Regular’ junior welterweight champion.

Through his recent weight jumps, Davis has never taken issue with prioritising fight night over any opportunity waiting in the wings. He’s risen to the occasion in front of capacity crowds throughout the U.S. and is well aware of what is at stake this weekend.
 

View all the latest Boxing news and videos

“I’m ready to go through everybody that’s in my way… I’m just ready to shut everyone up,” noted Davis. “All the talking that’s going around, I just want to go in the ring and shut them all up.”

He will have to begin with an unbeaten fighter coming off a career best year! Garcia (16-0, 10KOs; 3NC) began his 2022 campaign with an unexpected opportunity. 

The former amateur standout - who represented his country in the 2016 Olympics - answered the call once Chris Colbert needed an opponent for a February 26th Showtime date after WBA 130-pound titlist Roger Gutierrez tested positive for Covid-19.

Colbert was a heavy betting favourite to preserve his unbeaten record and then reschedule a title bid versus Venezuela’s Gutierrez. 

Garcia upset the odds in a big way, flooring the Brooklyn, New York native in the seventh round of a stunningly lopsided decision win (119-108, 118-109, 118-109) to announce his arrival with a presence on boxing’s main stage - he can be backed to win by the same method this weekend at 12/1.

Garcia followed through with an equally strong showing versus Gutierrez, building up a sizable lead en-route to a decisive points win to claim the WBA junior lightweight crown. 

He moves up in weight for what is far and away the biggest challenge of his career, with Davis not only enjoying regional advantage but who nearly everyone is picking to prevail this weekend.

You’ll have to excuse Garcia for hearing this song before.

“A victory against ‘Tank’ will solidify me as one of the best fighters in the world. I already believe that in my own mind, but the world will realise how good I am after this fight,” vowed Garcia. 

“Getting this fight has changed my life forever, but winning it will do wonders for everyone on my team.”

Odds displayed in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

View all the latest odds ahead of Davis v Garcia

Jake Donovan

• • 
  •