LAS VEGAS – Hector Luis Garcia’s trainer is confident that his fighter will give Gervonta Davis the most difficult fight of the undefeated knockout artist’s career.
Bob Santos, who guided Garcia to two career-changing wins in 2022, doesn’t see anyone on Davis’ record who was as prepared, particularly in the prime of his career, to test Davis the way Garcia will push him in their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event January 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Rugged Mexican contender Isaac Cruz is commonly considered the toughest opponent of Davis’ nine-year professional career to date.
Davis was recently arrested for a domestic violence allegation in Florida, but his fight with Garcia - at this moment - is still scheduled for next Saturday.
Santos noted that the Dominican Republic’s Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs, 3 NC), who owns the WBA 130-pound championship, is a southpaw who possesses more technical skill and amateur pedigree than Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs). Nevertheless, Cruz, who lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Davis in December 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, became just the second boxer to take Davis the distance and remains the only opponent to go 12 rounds with Davis since the Baltimore native turned pro in February 2013.
“Technically, experience-wise and in his prime, Gervonta has never fought anybody as good as him,” Santos told BoxingScene.com in reference to Garcia. “That’s just a fact. You know, you could say Gamboa was a gold medal winner, but he was long in the tooth.”
Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa won world titles in two weight classes and was once regarded as one of the most skillful fighters in the sport. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist was 38, however, when Davis dropped him three times and eventually stopped Gamboa (30-5, 18 KOs) in the 12th round of their fight for the WBA world lightweight title in December 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The 28-year-old Davis’ detractors have criticized his overall level of opposition since he knocked out Puerto Rico’s Jose Pedraza (then 22-0) to win the IBF junior lightweight title in January 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) has knocked out 93 percent of his opponents, though, has stopped six former world champions and has become one of boxing’s biggest draws in the United States.
Davis has also agreed to fight rival Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) later in 2023 if he defeats Hector Luis Garcia. He knocked out another dangerous rival, Rolly Romero (14-1, 12 KOs), in the sixth round of his last fight, which took place May 28 at Barclays Center.
Santos, for one, believes Davis has separated himself from his contemporaries within the 135-pound division, including undefeated, undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
“I take nothing away from Gervonta because I do believe, pound-for-pound, he’s one of the best fighters in the world,” Santos said. “I’m not saying, ‘Oh, they just put him in with bums.’ The guy has knocked out virtually everyone that he’s fought. The guy’s got tremendous punching power and I think he is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.
“And I think he is, at 135 pounds, the best fighter. Because I don’t think some of those other guys have the punching power to keep him off of them. But that being said, I think as far as experience and technical skill, Hector is gonna be the best opponent he has ever been with in his prime.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
