LAS VEGAS – The last trainer to guide a fighter named Garcia into the ring to challenge Gervonta Davis considers Ryan Garcia a very live underdog Saturday night.

Bob Santos, who trains Hector Luis Garcia, favors Davis in their 12-round, 136-pound showdown at T-Mobile Arena. Santos also considers Ryan Garcia dangerous, particularly with his trademark left hook, and has an immense amount of respect for the underdog’s veteran trainer, Joe Goossen.

Santos assessed their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event during a recent interview with BoxingScene.com.

“I favor Gervonta Davis, but I think it’s gonna be a very competitive fight,” Santos said. “Will I be surprised if Ryan Garcia wins? No. He’s got fast-twitch muscles. I know he’s got a big heart, big balls. Obviously, when he got dropped by Luke Campbell, he got up off the deck and stopped him. So, that shows what kinda heart and balls he’s got.”

Garcia got up from a second-round knockdown against Campbell, which was caused by an overhand left just before the midway point of the second round. Though stunned, Garcia recovered, regained control and stopped the left-handed Campbell with a brutal left hook to his body during the seventh round in January 2021 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Hector Luis Garcia was competitive versus Davis at times, but the strong southpaw hurt the previously undefeated Dominican with a left hand late in the eighth round. A dazed Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs, 3 NC) didn’t answer the bell for the start of the ninth round January 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Santos doesn’t think Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) and Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) will go all 12 rounds, either.

“I will be shocked if that fight goes the distance,” Santos said. “I will be really, really shocked. Someone’s getting stopped. Again, Ryan can turn the fight on a dime, too, with that left hook.”

Santos, who has emerged as one of boxing’s busiest and most successful trainers, expects a lot out of Garcia in his third fight with Goossen in his corner.

“The ‘X’ factor is Joe Goossen,” Santos said. “I don’t think a lotta people have given credit to that. What Joe Goossen did with Diego Corrales versus [Jose Luis] Castillo, he’s a master at guiding the corner. He’s a master psychologist at keeping you in that ring, and so I think that’s gonna be the ‘X’ factor. And if it gets pulled off, I’m gonna be looking at Joe Goossen as the one because I know he’s gonna strategize like it’s nobody’s business and I know he’s gonna set some traps for Gervonta Davis.

“Gervonta Davis, to me, has a high, high ring IQ and is a huge puncher. And like I said, I favor him because I think he has that ‘X’ factor his own self, where at some point he can turn the fight on the dime and do a couple different things. But man, I can see Joe putting something together where we’re all going, ‘Wow!’ If anybody can do it, it’s gonna be him. And like I said, he’s gonna be able to keep Garcia focused in that corner. He’s gonna have to be focused at all times, but Ryan has got that quick, quick electric hook and range.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.