Ryan Garcia accused Gervonta Davis of attempting to “weight drain” him by demanding a catch weight of 136lbs and a rehydration clause for their fight on April 22 in Las Vegas.
Garcia revealed on Wednesday, at their press conference in New York, that they would be fighting at a catchweight just over the lightweight limit he last fought at when beating Luke Campbell in January 2021, and that he could be no more than 146lbs when they weigh in again on the 22nd.
On Thursday the undefeated rivals met again in Los Angeles, and as tensions rose the 24-year-old Garcia said: “Why did you weight drain me? Why did you weight drain me? Why didn’t you fight at 140lbs? I’m little. I got a little frame.”
Garcia has fought at super lightweight in his two fights since defeating Campbell. Davis, who has remained at lightweight since December 2019, first became a world champion at super featherweight.
“I promise you, I got the determination that you’ve never seen before,” Garcia also said. “You like to fight guys that don’t hit hard, but guess what? I do hit hard, and when I hit you with that left hook...
“You couldn’t knock out [in December 2021 Isaac] Cruz, who was smaller than small. You couldn’t do a lot of things. You were losing to [in June 2021 Mario] Barrios, were you not? Were you not losing to Barrios?”
Davis, 28, responded: “You’re not a complete fighter. You don’t got no footwork. You don’t got no IQ. You don’t got nothing, bro. You only got a hook.
“What else do you have besides a hook? What else?
“Your right hand ain’t shit.