Davis – Garcia, Ennis, Andrade Official Showtime Weights & Photos

By Showtime Boxing - 01/05/2023 - Comments

WBA Lightweight World Championship – 12 Rounds

Gervonta Davis – 134 lbs.
Héctor Luis Garcia – 134 lbs.

Referee: Albert Earl Brown; Judges: Dave Moretti (Nev.), Stephen Rados (Md.), Wayne Smith (Va.)

IBF Interim Welterweight Championship – 12 Rounds

Jaron Ennis – 145 ½ lbs.
Karen Chukhadzhian – 146 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Malik Waleed; Judges: David Braslow (Md.), Tammye Jenkins (Wash. D.C.), Paul Wallace (Md.)

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IBF Welterweight World Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Rashidi Ellis – 146 ¼ lbs.
Roiman Villa – 145 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Brent Bovell; Judges: David Braslow (Md.), Tammye Jenkins (Wash. D.C.), Paul Wallace (Md.)

Super Middleweight Bout – 12 Rounds

Demetrius Andrade – 167 lbs.
Demond Nicholson – 167 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Malik Waleed; Judges: Stephen Rados (Md.), Wayne Smith (Md.), Paul Wallace (Md.)

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Super Welterweight Bout – Eight/10 Rounds

Vito Mielnicki, Jr. – 153 ¼ lbs.
Omar Rosales – 152 ¾ lbs.

Referee: David Braslow; Judges: Wayne Smith (Va.), Stephen Rados (Md.), Paul Wallace (Md.)

Super Lightweight Bout – Eight Rounds

Brandun Lee – 141 ½ lbs.
Diego Luque – 141 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Brent Bovell; Judges: Wayne Smith (Va.), Stephen Rados (Md.), Paul Wallace (Md.)

Note: Contracted weight 143 pounds.

Super Welterweight Bout – Eight Rounds

Travon Marshall – 149 ¾ lbs.
Shawn West – 151 ¼ lbs.

Referee: David Braslow; Judges: Tammye Jenkins (Wash. D.C) Manuel Vincens (Wash. D.C.), Wayne Smith (Va.)

Note: Contracted weight 152 pounds.

Undefeated five-time world champion and boxing superstar Gervonta “Tank” Davis will make his highly anticipated return to the nation’s capital to defend his WBA World Lightweight Title against unbeaten world champion Héctor Luis García on Saturday, January 7, headlining a SHOWTIME PPV from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Davis has established himself as one of boxing’s hottest, must-see attractions, capturing five world titles through three divisions with dramatic knockouts and selling out arenas from Los Angeles to Atlanta to New York. The Baltimore native will return to fight in D.C. for the first time since 2016, when he headlines against the dangerous and streaking Héctor Luis García, needing a win to pave the way for the recently announced blockbuster clash against unbeaten star Ryan Garcia in the spring of 2023.

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Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by GTD Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com and capitalonearena.com.

“SHOWTIME® is coming out of the gate strong in 2023 with this hard-hitting card headlined by the sport’s most vibrant star, Gervonta Davis,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Gervonta could have taken a softer touch before meeting Ryan Garcia in the spring. Instead, he’s facing a strong candidate for the 2022 Fighter of the Year in the dangerous Hector Luis Garcia and giving back to his fans with this tremendous matchup. We’re thrilled to return to the nation’s capital for the first time since 2016 for what should be an unforgettable start to the New Year for boxing fans.”

“We’re ready to welcome boxing back to the big stage in the DMV region after 17 years,” said Jordan Silberman, General Manager, Capital One Arena. “It’s an honor to host ‘Tank’, a Baltimore native, and Héctor Luis García for what will no doubt be a special night at Capital One Arena.”

Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) currently holds the WBA Lightweight Title and will attempt his fourth defense when he meets Hector Luis Garcia. Davis delivered yet another highlight reel performance in his last bout, blasting out the previously unbeaten Rolando Romero with a powerful left hand in the sixth round of their May 2022 encounter.

In 2021, Gervonta Davis became a three-division world champion by capturing a 140-pound title with a brilliant stoppage over then-unbeaten Mario Barrios, before turning away top lightweight contender Isaac Cruz in a successful December 5 title defense. In October 2020, Davis scored a sensational knockout over Leo Santa Cruz, making him the first person to ever drop the four-division champion. Davis’ elite ability, coupled with his explosive knockout power, has made him a rising force in the sport ever since bursting onto the scene with an explosive knockout victory over Jose Pedraza in 2017. Boasting a knockout rate over 92%, Davis captured his lightweight championship with a 12th-round KO of former unified champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in December 2019.

“I’m very excited to be fighting again in the DMV,” said Davis. “I can’t wait to see all my day one supporters, family, friends, and fans come together for a big fight party. My opponent is an Olympian and a world champion who’s proven to the boxing world that he is a tremendous competitor. I’m in camp working hard and I’ll be ready on January 7 to make this a statement fight for all my future opponents. Make sure you get your tickets now, because this fight is going to be a sellout for sure! Keep supporting me and I’ll fight for you!”

The WBA Super Featherweight World Champion Héctor Luis García (16-0, 10 KOs) is coming off a spectacular 2022 highlighted by two marquee victories. García has fought professionally since December of 2016 after a stellar amateur career that included representing his native Dominican Republic in the 2016 Olympics® and a runner-up finish at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.

Now training in Las Vegas under the watchful eye of respected trainer Bob Santos, García scored one of the biggest upsets of 2022 in February, when he dropped and defeated then-unbeaten Chris Colbert. In August, García captured the world title with a one-sided unanimous decision over incumbent Roger Gutierrez, making him a strong candidate for Fighter of the Year honors. The 31-year-old stands at 5-foot-9 and will own a sizeable height advantage over Davis when he makes his lightweight debut on January 7.

“I want to thank my whole team, along with Gervonta Davis, for the opportunity to face one of the best fighters in the world,” said García. “This is going to elevate my game and ultimately, it’s going to give the fans an all-time classic that they won’t forget. On January 7, Gervonta Davis and I are going to produce a war that is going to go down as one of the great fights in history and will solidify my name with the greats.”

GERVONTA DAVIS

“We trained hard. He’s been saying some things that have turned me up. You definitely don’t want to miss this one. We’re going to make sure this is a tough fight for him. Don’t get no popcorn during this fight. Keep your butt glued to the seat. I promise you it’s gonna be fireworks.

“This is my job. I’ve been doing it since I was seven. I know that a lot comes with it, but if I stop now, then I wouldn’t have done what I came to do.

“D.C. has always been exciting when it comes to boxing. There’s a lot of talent here that people sleep on. It’s a boxing town and I’m excited to come back and be fighting here. We used to have to get through D.C. to get to the national level in the amateurs, so I always treated this place like a second home.

“Garcia earned his spot in this fight for what he’s done this past year. He’s been in good fights and beaten good fighters. He’s not someone to sleep on. He’s a tough opponent and this is going to prepare me for a Ryan Garcia fight next.

“I just want to put on a great performance in front of a nice crowd and show everyone that I’m one of the top guys.

“There’s been a lot of talk from other fighters in the division. I’m putting them on notice with this fight and the Ryan fight. I can’t get to Ryan unless I get past Héctor. I’m showing everyone that I’m one of the elite guys.

“The last thing I want to say to Héctor is just, be ready. I’ve had a great camp and I know that Héctor’s coming. Just don’t make a lot of mistakes, because if you make too many, it might be an early night.

“This is a stacked card. Saturday night, boxing wins. From the first fight to my fight, you don’t wanna miss it.”

“[Héctor Luis] Garcia is talking about getting the knockout, but we know he can just say that and end up fighting a different way. We don’t really know what’s going to happen until we get into the ring.

“I’m just locked in through the holidays. I’ll do some stuff with my kids, but other than that I’m totally committed to this fight and training for it.

“Going into a fight, any opponent is dangerous. He’s training hard and I know that someone like [Héctor Luis] Garcia isn’t just someone stepping in. He’s been training for me for a long time.

“I can’t just go in there and try to knock everyone out right away. I have to show that I have more than just punching power. I have skills to go along with my boxing IQ.

“Héctor is a sound fighter who’s beat some top guys. He’s a durable guy who’s coming to fight. He’s undefeated and he’s a great opponent. You can’t sleep on him. If you’re sleeping on him, he might put you to sleep.

“Every fight is a steppingstone toward what I want to do. I feel as though this fight with Héctor is an important piece in all of it. I have to put on a good performance so that everybody knows that this is in their future.

“I think Ryan Garcia’s being lazy not taking a fight before our fight. I don’t know. When he was coming up, he was in the gym and everything and now he’s got some money and a little bit of fame and he’s partying and stuff like that. It happens to the majority of us, but it’s up to him to tighten up before it’s too late.

“I am hoping that the Ryan Garcia fight will open up doors for everyone to make more big fights. It also shows that I’m not ducking anybody.”

CALVIN FORD, Davis’ Trainer

“Camp has been good, we’re just waiting to see everything transform in the ring. Obviously when you’ve been out of the ring for a long period of time, there are little things that you have to go back and correct. It’s also important that we do our best to preserve his body for what he’s got in front of him.

“We’ve got a tough task. This fight is more mental than physical. I think it’s similar to the Jose Pedraza fight because [Héctor Luis] Garcia is also an undefeated Olympian who’s a world champion. We’re just ready to go to that next level.

“I’ve been with Gervonta since the amateurs and now we’re at the level where he’s that guy. I’m looking to see Gervonta put his stamp on his brand as a fighter.

“The fight is going to depend on what [Héctor Luis] Garcia wants to do. Garcia had [former 140-pound champion and Davis opponent] Mario Barrios in his camp and I’m sure he got some pointers from him. I know he’s at a gym with great sparring, so he’s definitely getting a lot of looks. But we don’t know if he can do it inside the ring on the night.”


GERVONTA DAVIS

“This is another event that we’re excited for. I’ve been working hard and I appreciate everybody that’s come out today. This is a stacked undercard, it almost feels like I’m back in the amateurs with all these great fighters.

“We’re gonna go back into training camp right after today because we’re not sleeping on this guy. I know we have two fights lined up, but I’m only focused on this one. I’m ready to go through everybody that’s in my way.

“This is really important for me. It’s huge to open up the opportunity for other fighters to showcase their skills on the big stage. When you make your mark in the sport, it’s about coming back and showing other people that it can happen for them.

“This is just me trying to get over that hump. I don’t think of it as a dream come true. I’m not where I want to be yet. This fight is the next step.

“It feels good to be back home. All the greats have fought here and now I get to come back home and put on a great event. I love getting everyone together to have a party. That’s what it is. We grind in the gym and a lot of people don’t see that, so when the big event comes, it’s time to show up.

“I’m just ready to shut everyone up. All the talking that’s going around, I just want to go in the ring and shut them all up.

“I’ve always been the guy who stays focused and knows that whoever is in front of me is a threat. We know that Garcia is coming. I’m watching him a lot. I know what they’re doing day in and day out.

“There are a lot of young fighters coming behind me and I just want to be able to give them the platform that they deserve.”

HECTOR LUIS GARCIA

“We trained hard. He’s been saying some things that have turned me up. You definitely don’t want to miss this one. We’re going to make sure this is a tough fight for him. Don’t get no popcorn during this fight. Keep your butt glued to the seat. I promise you it’s gonna be fireworks.

“This is my job. I’ve been doing it since I was seven. I know that a lot comes with it, but if I stop now, then I wouldn’t have done what I came to do.

“D.C. has always been exciting when it comes to boxing. There’s a lot of talent here that people sleep on. It’s a boxing town and I’m excited to come back and be fighting here. We used to have to get through D.C. to get to the national level in the amateurs, so I always treated this place like a second home.

“Garcia earned his spot in this fight for what he’s done this past year. He’s been in good fights and beaten good fighters. He’s not someone to sleep on. He’s a tough opponent and this is going to prepare me for a Ryan Garcia fight next.

“I just want to put on a great performance in front of a nice crowd and show everyone that I’m one of the top guys.

“There’s been a lot of talk from other fighters in the division. I’m putting them on notice with this fight and the Ryan fight. I can’t get to Ryan unless I get past Héctor. I’m showing everyone that I’m one of the elite guys.

“The last thing I want to say to Héctor is just, be ready. I’ve had a great camp and I know that Héctor’s coming. Just don’t make a lot of mistakes, because if you make too many, it might be an early night.

“This is a stacked card. Saturday night, boxing wins. From the first fight to my fight, you don’t wanna miss it.”

“I’m very happy to be here in this position. I’ve worked extremely hard to make this my year. I’m going to make this a great show for the boxing fans and the Dominican Republic. My team is going to have me ready for this fight on January 7.

“I’m not fazed by anything people say. I know who I am and I know what to do. My preparation has been so good that I’m going to be ready to give 100%.

“I know that I have the height advantage, but I can adapt myself to the rhythm of my opponent. I know that I’m facing one of the best fighters out there, but I’m fully confident I have what it takes to win.

“I’m taking my normal approach to this fight. I’m a great fighter too and I have Olympic experience. We have no reason to change our preparation for this fight.

“If I beat ‘Tank’ on January 7, I’d be happy to go after a fight against Ryan Garcia. I don’t think he’s on the same level as me and Gervonta.

“I feel at home here. I’m sure that I’m going to get a lot of support for myself. Most importantly I’ll have my family here having my back.

“We’re coming to make this a battle. Whether it’s toe-to-toe or he wants to move and box, me and my trainer are ready. We trust each other and that goes a long way in fights like these.

“I want to make my name in this sport and make it last a lot longer after I’m around. I’m taking it one fight at a time, but I have big goals that I’m looking to reach.”

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