Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach leans toward Ryan Garcia springing the mild upset and defeating Gervonta Davis when the two undefeated lightweights clash in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
“I think I might see an upset in this one,” Roach told ProBoxTV News. “Davis is the puncher. But Garcia is a very good boxer, and a boxer versus a puncher matchup, you can’t ask for anything better. It should be a really good fight.”
The key for Roach is that Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) has to start fast and utilize his speed and reach to keep Davis at bay. “Davis is a slow starter sometimes,” Roach explained, “And it’s very important for Garcia to start early. Stand in there, use his height and box. Devis a plan, stick to it.”
Back in 2021, Roach had floated Garcia as a possible opponent for Manny Pacquiao prior to the Filipino facing Errol Spence – a matchup that was derailed when Yordenis Ugas sent Pacquiao into retirement in August of that year – but he said even then that Garcia “is a good fighter … He’s got a terrific left hook, and he puts people right on their ass with it. He’s not an easy fight for anybody.”
Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) is presently a –250 (or 2.5-1 on) favorite on American online betting site DraftKings, with Garcia a +180 (1.8 to 1) underdog, but Roach isn’t the only boxing figure to see the Californian as having a chance.
Former lightweight and welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley told Tom Gray of Sporting News on Monday that, "I'm leaning towards Garcia because he's bigger, not because I believe he's a better fighter technically. I believe he's bigger and he has the goods to be the bigger fighter. I think he can hit Tank with shots that he's never been hit with, and I think the size, height, and speed is gonna be a problem.”
WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo revealed on social media over the weekend that he had wagered $10,000 on Garcia to prevail. When fans expressed shock that he wasn’t backing fellow PBC fighter Davis, Charlo smiled.
“They mad,” he said. “So what?
