WASHINGTON – Gervonta Davis didn’t seem stressed out Thursday.
Faced with a pack of reporters and videographers for the first time since he was arrested again last week, a relaxed Davis discussed how he handled the well-documented disruption to training camp for his lightweight title fight against Hector Luis Garcia on Saturday night at Capital One Arena. The 28-year-old knockout artist admitted that the incident shook him up, yet Davis emphasized that he is fully focused on beating Garcia, an undefeated Dominican southpaw, now that their 12-round, 135-pound championship match is so close.
“I feel as though it’s all a learning experience,” Davis said after a press conference at the Marriott Marquis. “You know what I mean? I’m only human. I’m not perfect. You know what I mean? The allegations was false. You know what I mean? So, I feel as though we just keep focusing on the main course and that’s Hector. And then, once we get Hector, it’s definitely Ryan Garcia.”
Davis versus Ryan Garcia is one of the most marketable, profitable bouts that can be made in boxing. The rivals have agreed to finally fight next if Davis defeats Hector Luis Garcia.
The Baltimore native’s first fight against a Garcia in 2023 appeared jeopardized, however, when Davis was arrested December 27 in Parkland, Florida for allegedly striking Vanessa Posso, the mother of the younger of Davis’ two daughters, on the right side of her head.
A police report of the incident indicated that Davis hit Posso with a “closed hand type slap” and caused an abrasion on the inside of her right lip. Posso, who called 911, recanted her story a week ago in a statement posted on Instagram, in which she stated that Davis “did not harm me or our daughter.”
Davis was released December 28 on $1,000 bail after spending one night in a Broward County correctional facility. He has been charged with one count of battery that caused bodily harm in that case, though the prosecution could drop it.
A relieved Davis didn’t think this Garcia fight would be postponed or canceled.
“I wasn’t worried,” Davis said. “I just wanted to clear my name. That’s it. That’s it.”
Critics called for this bout to be at least postponed before Posso retracted her story due to Davis’ arrest record, including a February 2020 incident in which Davis forcefully removed the mother of his older daughter from her seat and walked her out of a charity basketball game in Coral Gables, Florida. The prosecution decided December 13 to stop pursuing two misdemeanor simple battery charges in that case.
Davis also has a trial scheduled for February 16 in Baltimore, where he’ll face 14 misdemeanor motor vehicle violations that stem from a hit-and-run accident two years ago. In November 2020, Davis allegedly drove his Lamborghini through a red light and collided with a Toyota Solara.
The driver of the Toyota and three passengers sustained injuries from which they have recovered. Davis left the scene of that accident before authorities arrived.
Another legal entanglement only made matters worse while Davis tried to prepare to fight Garcia, the WBA super featherweight champion and a top candidate for most “Fighter of the Year” awards in 2022.
“[The goal was] just to try to stay focused,” Davis said. “Don’t ever let anything, you know what I mean, try to get you off your game plan. Maybe it was the devil or something trying to knock me off my pivot. You know what I mean? So, I just wanna stay focused. Again, keep my head slightly down and just remain focused on the main goal. It had me a little shaked up, as far as, you know what I mean, I just wanted to clear my name. But other than that, I’m fully focused on the main course.”
Most oddsmakers still list the hard-hitting Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) as at least a 14-1 favorite to beat Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs, 3 NC), a 2016 Olympian who has moved up from the 130-pound division to the lightweight limit of 135 pounds for this Showtime Pay-Per-View main event ($74.99; 9 p.m. ET). Hector Luis Garcia, for one, believes Davis when the WBA world lightweight champion claims that the ordeal he endured over the past 10 days didn’t prohibit him from finishing training camp strong for what could become a difficult fight.
“The outside stuff don’t really matter no more,” Davis said. “You know what I mean? It’s down to the main factor, and that’s Hector. And I’m mainly focused on him and not even Ryan Garcia. You know what I mean? I do this to have fun and talk about it and build the fight [with Ryan Garcia]. But my main focus is Hector Garcia.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.