Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia met in April 2023, and their fight was one of the biggest of the year.
As two of the most prolific names in the sport, the then-undefeated fighters faced one another in the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Garcia would go into the bout as a 23-0 professional, while ‘Tank’ Davis was aiming to protect his then 28-0 record.
From the build-up to the fight itself, there was tension and entertainment for fans to enjoy. However, Davis did reveal that he was not fully confident in the moments before the bout.
Gervonta Davis reveals the nerves he felt just before Ryan Garcia fight
In what was one of the finer performances of his career, Davis would put Garcia down in the second round, before landing a knockout blow in the seventh.
Davis had previously been compared to Mike Tyson and in his fight with Garcia, was able to add substance to these claims.
Although there was a slightly delayed reaction from his opponent in round seven, Davis’ short body shot forced Garcia to take a knee and would not be able to continue.
However, despite his impressive showing, Davis has revealed that he felt nervous prior to stepping in the ring with Garcia.
In footage captured by Premier Boxing Champions, Davis said “I was nervous,” when recalling the 2023 bout.
As ‘Tank’ was getting his hands wrapped before the fight, Garcia’s brother was in the dressing room, supervising the preparations.
While in the changing room, Garcia’s brother said to Davis, “You’re going to feel it right away,” referring to the punching power Ryan possessed.
Before he met with Davis, Garcia had won 19 of his 23 fights via knockout.
Davis admitted that the comments made him nervous as he prepared for the fight, but was able to put his feelings to the side to deliver a standout performance.
There have been discussions regarding a rematch between the pair, however, Davis named a huge figure to face Garcia again.
Gervonta Davis reveals mistake that Ryan Garcia made in their bout
Reflecting on the fight, Davis has said what he feels Garcia should have done to make the most of his knockout ability.
Talking to Premier Boxing Champions, Davis said that more patience on the side of Garcia would have been beneficial.
“He wasn’t patient. Maybe if he was patient, he would have caught [me]. He just started rushing.”
The first knockdown scored by Davis would come from a huge counter-strike, who put down an on-rushing Garcia.
As for the finishing blow, Davis said that he could tell by the face of his opponent that he had hurt Garcia with the body punch.