Daily Times

LAS VEGAS: Gervonta Davis is one of boxing’s best ticket-sellers. Ryan Garcia has superbly used his social-media skills to become one of its most popular faces. They each have the skills that superstars are made of: Power, speed, ring savvy, courage and a charisma that attracts people to them. They meet in a non-title lightweight bout, at a contracted weight of 136 pounds, in the headliner of a pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena of what should be a fantastic fight. Both enter the bout with plenty to prove. Garcia is 24, but he’s 23-0 with 19 knockouts, and he has some of the fastest hands in the business. For all of his skills – he’s insanely quick and fast-handed, and his left hook carries serious power – he’s still largely unproven.

None of his opponents are on a who’s who list of boxing’s elite fighters. Garcia’s biggest win by far was a seventh-round stoppage of Luke Campbell on Jan. 2, 2021, in what was the final bout of Campbell’s career. Campbell was a good but hardly great fighter and no one would ever have considered him elite. Davis, 28, is 28-0 with 26 knockouts, and won his first world title on Jan. 14, 2017, when he stopped Jose Pedraza in the seventh round in Brooklyn to win the IBF super featherweight title. But for as talented as Davis is, he has been protected along the way.

More than six years later, Pedraza, and perhaps Isaac Cruz, represent Davis’ best opposition. He’s been fighting older fighters on the way out or smaller opponents who have moved up to challenge him. There are no superstars on his list of opponents, no one who was considered a threat to beat him. Now, that changes for both men. Davis is a little better than a 2-1 favorite at BetMGM, standing at -245 with Garcia at +190. That represents the opinion that while Davis’ opposition has been light, it’s better than Garcia’s. The good thing about this fight is the fighters themselves demanded it, and when boxing politics attempted to intervene and prevent it, they stepped up and said no. Garcia insisted he would only fight Davis next and Davis likewise insisted upon fighting Garcia.

“I had a mission, and I had a vision to fight Gervonta Davis, and to bring the fans what they really wanted to see,” Garcia said. “I made it happen. That’s what I’m happy about more than anything in life right now.” Davis concurred. He, too, wanted the bout and he wouldn’t let his team go in another direction. The significance of it is not lost upon him. “This means everything,” Davis said. “We are putting everything on the line. Coming from where I come from, this is big. I witnessed Floyd Mayweather and all the top guys fight in Las Vegas. This is the top-level. I’m ready. “My first goal was to win a belt. I never thought I would be in Las Vegas having a big fight. This is a dream come true. I won’t let my people down.”

Garcia has been supremely confident and openly speaking of knocking out Davis. Trying to knock Davis out comes with a great risk, because it will open Garcia up and Davis’ power is legitimate. Davis, though, is taking Garcia’s threats in stride. He isn’t putting much stock in words. “I think he’s trying to hype himself to get into the fight when he talks about knocking me out in two rounds,” Davis said. “I don’t think he really believes that.”

Garcia clearly believes it and he has believed it for a while. As long ago as 2018, he spoke of fighting Davis, Devin Haney, now the undisputed lightweight champion; former undisputed champion Teofimo Lopez and others. It took way longer than it should have but those elite athletes are finally coming together.

For as much hype as Davis has gotten, and for as many titles as he has won, there remain questions. He’s a slow starter and often falls behind early. Given that he hasn’t faced that elite, in-his-prime opponent who could force him to showcase everything he’s able to do, he’s almost been taken for granted by some.