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After Thursday’s information {that a} combat between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia was a “executed deal” for the primary half of 2023 and that Davis would first take a combat on Jan. 7, we now know the identify of Davis’ “tune-up” opponent. Davis will battle Hector Luis Garcia at Capitol One Arena in Washington D.C., Davis introduced on social media on Friday.
Luis Garcia (16-0, 10 KO) is coming off a improbable 12 months. In February, he stepped in for WBA tremendous featherweight champion Roger Gutierrez in opposition to Chris Colbert when Gutierrez was compelled out of the bout attributable to COVID. Despite being a +1100 underdog, Luis Garcia dominated Colbert for a large resolution win.
That victory earned Luis Garcia, a 2016 Olympian, a shot at Gutierrez for the title. Luis Garcia gained the combat and the title, largely as a result of Gutierrez spent the primary eight rounds of the combat doing little to nothing till his nook started threatening to cease the combat. Gutierrez stepped up over the ultimate rounds and had Garcia trying overwhelmed, however it was too late into the combat and Luis Garcia took the choice.
He now strikes to light-weight to battle Davis, who had vacated the identical belt that Garcia finally gained from Gutierrez.
Davis (27-0, 25 KO) solely fought as soon as in 2022, scoring a sixth-round stoppage of Rolando Romero in May. It was an odd combat, with Romero largely outboxing Davis earlier than Davis landed an enormous left hand that ended the combat.
Davis has emerged as one of many brightest younger stars in boxing over the previous a number of years, with beautiful energy that has adopted him from tremendous featherweight as excessive as tremendous light-weight.
The combat with Ryan Garcia has been one demanded by each fighters and boxing followers for years. All Davis has to do to lastly make it a actuality is get by a unique, much less heralded, Garcia in January.