Ryan Garcia is convinced that a win over Gervonta Davis will make him boxing’s biggest ambassador, whether or not there is a belt at stake.
Garcia, the 23-year-old lightweight from Victorville, California, called out Baltimore puncher Davis, 27, after he scored a sixth-round stoppage of Javier Fortuna at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Regarded as two of the names in the sport with rare crossover appeal, both Garcia and Davis have been the subject of much interest as their potential bout would figure to be a commercial bonanza, despite the fact that neither fighter owns a title.
In a recent interview, Garcia said he is not concerned that a title would not be at stake. In a nod to Davis’ power as a draw and headliner, Garcia said a win over Davis would catapult him to become boxing’s biggest star. Davis has fought exclusively on pay-per-view in his last four bouts and has sold out arenas across a number of metropolitan areas in America, including his hometown of Baltimore, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Antonio, and most recently Brooklyn.
Moreover, Garcia seemed to suggest that winning a title at the moment is secondary to fighting – and beating – Davis.
“I feel like whoever wins between Gervonta and I becomes the face of boxing,” Garcia told BBC 5 Live Boxing. “So I’ll make it very clear. Is (winning a title) that something that I want? It’s gonna come with the territory. It’s just who I am. I wanna be the best at everything. It’s just how my nature is.”
“I will get to that point (of winning a title),” Garcia said. “I know I’m actually closer than I think. But I can’t think about that right now. All I can do is make the best moves that I can possibly make at the current situation. It’s ok to dream, but I try not to look too far ahead.”
Promotional divisions between Garcia and Davis, however, make a fight between the two unlikely. Garcia is promoted by Golden Boy, while Davis is backed by Premier Boxing Champions; both companies have their own broadcasting deals: Golden Boy with DAZN, and PBC with Showtime.
Another hitch in the proposed fight came up recently after Garcia declared that he is only interested in fighting Davis at 140. Garcia, a career lightweight, fought Fortuna at a contract weight of 140.
In response to Garcia’s weight demand, Floyd Mayweather Jr., the longtime promoter of Davis, came out and stated that Davis would “absolutely not” fight Garcia at the junior welterweight limit, citing Davis as the A-side and the fact that Davis is a natural lightweight.
Nevertheless, Garcia offered a bold prognosis of his future in the sport.
“Am I gonna be the biggest star in the world? Probably,” Garcia said. “Most likely a big chance that I will. In boxing, I will."