Undefeated boxing superstars Gervonta “Tank” Davis and “King” Ryan Garcia squared off for the second straight day on Thursday, this time in Los Angeles as they completed back-to-back, coast-to-coast press conferences to preview their highly anticipated 12-round showdown that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV production on Saturday, April 22 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After an animated face off at Wednesday’s event in New York, Davis and Garcia got up close and personal again on Thursday in Los Angeles, exchanging heated words and more, with Davis playfully throwing a left hook that whizzed inches from Garcia’s chin and Garcia shadowboxing in close proximity to Davis during the ceremonial stare down. Here is what the press conference participants had to say from The Beverly Hilton:
WHAT TIME IS THE DAVIS – GARCIA FIGHT?
- Date: Saturday, April 22
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST / 2 a.m. CET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. CET
- The card will stream live on DAZN PPV in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- The fight will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- The card will also stream live as part of your DAZN subscription if you’re in the United Kingdom (all territories), Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium.
- The main card is set to get underway at 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST / 2 a.m. CET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. CET.
GERVONTA DAVIS
“Come April 22, I’m gonna walk you to the deep waters and I’m gonna drown you. They gonna have to pick you up. I promise you that.
“This guy keeps talking about how he’s gonna hit me with a hook, but he doesn’t have anything else but a hook. What else have you got? He’s not a complete fighter.
“When you’re a complete fighter, you can do everything. You can’t just depend on one punch. What happens when that punch doesn’t work? You have to rely on something else.
“I feel as though I’m already that top guy in the sport. This fight is just about me getting over the hump.
“This is gonna be an explosive fight. If you don’t watch boxing, this is the fight to watch for sure. If you can get there, make sure you’re there. If you can’t be there, buy the pay-per-view. Because this is gonna be a good one for me.
“He’s putting on a front for the people. That’s what I see. I see a guy who’s an act. That’s what it is.
“Didn’t Ryan get caught by Luke Campbell? Do I hit way harder than Luke Campbell? Yes or no?
“I’ve put a lot of guys to sleep and Ryan is next.”
RYAN GARCIA
“I’m here to win and I promise you that I have heart and determination like you’ve never seen before. ‘Tank’ likes to fight guys that don’t hit hard, but I hit hard. When I hit you with that left hook, you’re gonna be on the floor. Asleep. Good night.
“This is such a big event, but I know that I’m coming out on top. It’s one thing to get to the moment, but it’s another to conquer the moment. So I’m not just happy that we’re here, now I’m focused on winning.
“I’m just going to let him think what he thinks. If he thinks all I have is the left hook, then he’s going to run into other shots and be confused. If he had watched any of my fights he’d know what else I have.
“He’s going to try to walk me down, but when he feels shots like this, he’s not going to want to do that. I’m going to hit him to the body and take the aggression out of him. I have a lot of ways to stop him.
“I’m not here to lie, he’s ready to fight. He wants to bring it. He doesn’t look scared, but I’m ready to fight too. We both have fire in our eyes.
“Don’t be mad that my left hook is blessed. Maybe that’s all I need. Maybe that’s all it’s gonna take.
“Nobody else could put together this type of event. Whoever wins this is on top. Whoever wins is the face of boxing and I truly believe that.
“I’m gonna beat him and I’m gonna knock him out. See you on April 22.”
CALVIN FORD, Davis’ Trainer
“We have two of the best young undefeated guys going at it April 22. You have to be in front of the TV or there in person. They’re going to put on a show.
“Everyone knows what ‘Tank’ is gonna do, because he does it for the fans. You haven’t seen the best of Gervonta Davis yet. Is Ryan ready to bring it out of him?
“These two guys are showing you how boxing is supposed to be. The young ones are coming and this is the start right here.”
JOE GOOSSEN, Garcia’s Trainer
“These are two great guys and they’re going to have it out on April 22. These guys both have an unusual level of talent. I’ve trained a lot of guys over the decades, and Ryan Garcia is one of the most unique individuals I’ve trained, in many ways. He’s one of the most dynamic guys I’ve ever worked with in terms of speed, power, ring IQ, determination and courage.
“This is going to be a great fight. I think both camps realize that each of these guys are at the top of their game and they’re going to put on a great show for the fans. I can’t wait until it’s time to get into the ring and see who’s the best in the world.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“I want to thank everyone who came together to make this fight happen, and we all know who really made this fight happen, and that’s ‘Tank’ and Ryan. We have a hell of a show and we can’t wait to see ‘Tank’ and Ryan do their thing in the ring on April 22.”
LEONARD ELLERBE, Boxing Promoter
“This is a monster event on April 22. This is must-see. If you can’t be in attendance, be sure to tune in on pay-per-view, because I guarantee you from round one on, it’s going to be nothing but fireworks. This one is ending in a knockout.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“This is where legacies start for both fighters. Both fighters are facing someone who’s undefeated and someone who’s at the peak of their career. This is a whole new level and a whole new experience coming out to that ring fighting somebody undefeated with your skill level and your will and your determination. This is what boxing is all about.
“I want to thank Ryan Garcia for wanting this fight for years. Boxing is alive, and the winner will be the face of the sport. So may the best man win.”
BERNARD HOPKINS, Golden Boy Promotions Partner
“This fight reminds me of the big fights we had in the 80’s and early 90’s. I come from a city called Philadelphia and this is what we do and who we like.”
“Around the world, the fans have been craving this fight. So tell all your friends, even the ones you don’t like, to watch this fight.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, SHOWTIME SPORTS
“These are the types of days and events that remind us all why we got into this sport and why we are fans of this sport.
“I guarantee you with all the experience and all the events these guys on this stage have been through, including myself, each one of us has goosebumps right now because of the energy and adrenaline of nights like this. This is something that only boxing can provide.
“This is a throwback fight. It’s a fight and a rivalry as big as any in this sport. This is exactly the kind of fight that reflects the best that this sport has to offer: two young fighters in their prime, who are the two most exciting young fighters in the sport.
“Outside of the ring, the stories are even better. As different as these two fighters are physically, their personalities and their styles, they are very alike in one way. What these two young men have overcome, the obstacles they have conquered is the stuff of Hollywood movies.
“Mike Tyson once said, ‘You never lose until you give up.’ Giving up is the one thing that neither of these two fighters have done. That’s why I know April 22 will be a classic fight, because these two superstar fighters are willing to take that challenge.”
Davis vs. Garcia is widely considered a battle to become the next face of boxing, as the two unbeaten and wildly popular competitors bring passionate fan bases to what promises to be an exciting matchup of styles in the ring.
The press conferences are hosted by SHOWTIME Boxing host and “The Last Stand” podcaster Brian Custer and will stream live on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page and Premier Boxing Champions YouTube channel.
Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, hosts of the award-winning video podcast MORNING KOMBAT, will serve as the hosts of Wednesday’s live stream while Campbell and noted combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani will host Thursday’s live stream. The links and embed codes are listed below.
IT’S ON! Superstars Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis To Finally Face Each Other in Las Vegas on April 22
The biggest rivalry of the modern boxing era will finally settle its score in early 2023 when Southern California superstar “King” Ryan Garcia takes on Baltimore’s Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Las Vegas, Nevada, the historic home of boxing’s greatest grudge matches, will play host to one of the most anticipated fights to date, as the undefeated fighters put their perfect records on the line in a 12-round, 136-pound catchweight bout.
Like all great boxing rivalries, including Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward, to the most recent enmity between Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – King Ryan and Tank have circled each other for years, each calling the other out in a war of words as both built up undefeated resumes and scored knockout after knockout.
“This is the fight I want and this is the fight boxing needs. The hype, the storylines, the two athletes defining their sport inside the ring and out,” said Garcia. “I am going to knock Tank out and take my place as the face of our incredible sport, and I’m bringing a new generation of boxing fans with me. I appreciate Tank volunteering to get beat so that I can get to work.”
Garcia has built up an impressive resume across multiple weight classes, knocking out Olympian Luke Campbell in a 7th round TKO for the interim WBC lightweight belt, and most recently defeating Javier Fortuna in a 6th round knockout in front of a packed, star-studded audience at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles this July.
Since then, he has been adamant about making his next bout the faceoff boxing fans have wanted to see for years, against longtime rival, Davis. As other banner boxing matches fell apart this fall, Garcia became a vocal advocate for player empowerment in the sport, arguing that negotiations among networks and promoters shouldn’t hold fighters and fans back from the superstar clashes the sport deserves. By saying what fans and fighters have felt for years, Garcia’s bold stance won him accolades across both the boxing community and the professional sports world.
Stephen Espinoza, President, SHOWTIME Sports
“Tank Davis vs. Ryan Garcia is one of the biggest and most exciting fights that can be made in boxing. We have two supremely talented boxers, both in their prime, who have amassed huge fanbases, meeting in a career defining fight. This is the epitome of a crossover boxing event. All credit to Tank and Ryan for staying the course and giving the fans the fight they want.
“SHOWTIME has delivered the three biggest pay-per-view events in television history and we are thrilled to add this marquee event to our list of culture-moving matchups.”
Oscar De La Hoya:
“The fans have been crystal clear that the fight they want is Ryan versus Tank. Golden Boy Promotions and I are proud to be leading the drive to get this fight signed and are excited to get a deal finalized ASAP. It’s high time that those outside the ring stop getting in the way of those who want nothing more than to get into the ring and fight. Our motto has always been that the fans come first, and this is just another example of how we’re leading by example.”
DAVIS VS. RYAN GARCIA FIGHT CARD
- Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Ryan Garcia; Lightweight
- David Morrell vs. Sena Agbeko for WBA Super-middleweight title
- Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Gabriel Rosado; Super-middleweight
- Elijah Garcia vs. Kevin Salgado Zambrano; Middleweight