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Posted on 12/22/2022
By: Sean Crose
Now that the long hoped for Errol Spence-Terence Crawford fight is past it’s sell-by date the biggest fight in boxing is the upcoming Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia bout set to go down this spring. While Davis is having a tuneup fight in a few weeks against Hector Luis Garcia, (Ryan) Garcia has opted out of having a tuneup before throwing down with Spence. Speaking with FightHub, however, Davis made it clear that he has his suspicions regarding the fighter known as “King Ry.” When asked why he feels Garcia passed on a tuneup, Davis was clear in his response.
“I think that it could be him juicing,” he said, “that’s why I was pushing for the VADA.” The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association can test fighters year round, making it harder for them to use performance enhancing drugs. “He looks bigger than he’s actually been over the years,” Davis said of Garcia, “or maybe because he’s been drinking, too. I know he’s been drinking a lot. Either that or the juicing for sure.” Referring to a run in he had with Garcia in California, Davis said of the popular fighter: “He was drunk. Slap drunk.”
Davis went on to sound a bit more generous towards Garcia – before putting on the figurative breaks. “I understand both sides,” he said. “If he don’t want to take a tuneup I understand that.” It was a diplomatic way of putting things. Davis, however, then made it clear he wasn’t sold on the statement he had just made. “Actually,” Davis added, “he’s been lazy.” The 27-0 multi-division titlist then pointed to earlier in Garcia’s career. “When he was coming up, he was in the gym, he was fit,” Davis said. “He’s out the gym. He’s partying.”
Davis also addressed the issue of fighters like Garcia, Tyson Fury and Adrien Broner going public with issues regarding mental health. “You never heard no back in the day fighters talk about mental health,” he claimed. “I feel like people are saying that to get out of stuff. To be honest we all have mental health (issues).”
Davis did have good things to say about his and Garcia’s teams coming together to arrange a fight. “It shows that fights can be worked out and that I’m not ducking nobody,” he said. “My side and his side got it together.” Davis claimed he hopes the fight with Garcia will lead to more high level matchups between fighters in the future. “There’s been a lot of talk,” he said, regarding major contests. “Now it’s time for action.”