Gervonta Davis retained his WBA lightweight title, defeating Hector Luis Garcia after eight rounds to kick off the 2023 boxing calendar.
Davis overcame a slow start to force Garcia to retire on his stool after the eighth round.
In late December, this fight was in jeopardy, as Davis was arrested and charged with domestic violence, however, the woman who called the police released a statement on social media saying that Davis did not harm her or their daughter.
‘Tank’ has been heavily linked with an all-American blockbuster against Ryan Garcia, but couldn’t take his eye off the ball here.
A sell-out crowd of 19,731 gathered in Washington to see the Baltimore man take on [Luis] Garcia, but it wasn’t an action-packed start. After a tentative first three rounds, Davis found his groove in the fourth, as his piercing jab found the target on multiple occasions.
As ‘Tank’ continued to dominate throughout the next four rounds, his momentum would be momentarily stopped in the eighth, as the bout would be paused during the round due to an altercation in the crowd. However, when the bout resumed, Davis caught Garcia with some heavy left hands, with the final shot wobbling his opponent.
Tank hit different. 28-0, 26 KOs. You know who’s next 😮💨 @Gervontaa#DavisGarciapic.twitter.com/1FVrM1iszJ
— BOXRAW (@BOXRAW) January 8, 2023
Davis sensed the ending was near, but it came sooner than he expected, as Garcia told his trainer that he ‘couldn’t see’ which resulted in the challenger not coming out for the ninth, declaring Davis the winner by TKO.
Post-fight, the Baltimore fighter claimed that he knew that his opponent was hurt, before touching on his potential bout with [Ryan] Garcia.
“When I caught him, I knew he was hurt bad. He’s a fighter so he didn’t want to show it, but I knew he was hurt.”
“I was trying to beat him mentally, I was trying to trick him with my hands and my eyes. He’s a talented fighter, so I had to bait him in. [Southpaws bother me] a little bit, because I don’t fight them that often, but that’s part of the game.”
“God willing, man. I’m ready for the fight [with Ryan Garcia]. It’s scheduled for April. I’m here. He’s been training, he’s been talking. Let’s see who’s really ‘bout that. I’m ready. I’ll be in the gym.”
‘Tank’ has completed his side of the deal to set-up a clash with [Ryan] Garcia, as it looks as if the bout will land in Las Vegas on April 15th.
Full highlights of Davis’s victory can be watched here.