This Saturday night from the Capital One Arena in Washington DC the first notable card of 2023 takes place. The headline performer is Gervonta 'Tank' Davis, who once again got into some legal troubles in the wake of some domestic abuse allegations, that have since been taken care off.
This is neither a endorsement or condemnation of what has taken place. The bottom line is that for better or worse the show will go on. While some are calling this a 'stacked card' (and more on this later), it's really a card that features some well-known fighters who are heavily favored.
Here's a preview of what will take place on this pay-per-view show that will be distributed by Showtime Sports.
- Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia
For 'Tank' this is a supposed tune-up before his spring showdown with Ryan Garcia. And by the standards of modern day stay-busy bouts before a more important fight, it's actually pretty solid. It's probably a lot closer to Ayub Kalule than it is Scott 'Pink Cat' Walker.
“Garcia did what he had to do to earn this fight. He beat a top contender and then won the belt," said Davis. "Giving him the shot was the perfect timing for everyone. He’s earned his stripes."
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Some may have questions if Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) will be distracted given the recent turbulence in his personal life, but it can be argued that for him, turmoil is the norm. This will be his first outing since he knocked out Rollie Romero in late May. While some may argue that his resume' is inflated, there is no denying his strength and power.
As for Garcia (16-0, 10 KOs), he burst onto the scene by dominating the previously undefeated Chris Colbert over 12 one-sided rounds. He then scored a decision over Roger Gutierrez in August. This Domincan is a solid and sturdy fighter, who isn't afraid to mix it up.
“I know that I have an advantage with my reach. It definitely could be a factor in this fight. But at the same time, I have to take the fight moment by moment and be attentive to every detail. It’s so important against an opponent like Gervonta especially," stated Garcia.
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The only real concern is that Garcia is that he's fought the majority of his career between 126 and 130.
For however long it lasts he should put up a good fight, perhaps have a few moments, but you get the sense that Davis will simply be too strong for him.
“Our main focus is Hector Luis Garcia. We know that he’s a threat to everything I want to do. The goal is to put on a great performance, nothing else," said Davis.
- Jaron Ennis vs. Kharen Chukhadzhian
Yeah, yeah, we know, Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) is literally fighting a Kharen. For 'Boots' this will be a fight that will hopefully set the stage for a big '23. It certainly can't be any worse than the past year when he literally fought for just four minutes (scoring a second round KO of Custio Clayton), which is mind-boggling given that he's just 25 years old.
The consensus is that Ennis is one of the very best welterweights in the world (he's ranked third in the division by Ring Magazine.) But there's a faction of observers who will tell you that he's also very unproven. Well, both can be true.
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The hope is this after bout, bigger and better things will be on the horizon.
Ennis says, "I know Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are holding up the division right now, but whatever way I can get my hands on the belts, I’ll be ready. I just want to fight. I’m young, hungry and I’m going to keep shining and demolishing these guys they put in front of me."
- Rashidi Ellis vs Roiman Villa
'Speedy' Rashidi is just that, and Ellis (24-0, 15 KOs) is rated in the top 10 by the WBC, WBO and IBF. But he really hasn't done all that much since his victory over Alexis Rocha in 2020 inside the Golden Boy 'bubble'. Ellis is now under the PBC banner.
PBC
There is a lot of chatter about a match-up between Ellis and Ennis in their next bouts. Whether or not that comes to fruition or not, remains to be seen.
As for the hard-hitting Villa (25-1, 24 KOs), there are some sharps out there who believe if there is any one on this bill who will pull off an upset, it will be him. We'll see if his record is truly indicative of real power, or favorable matchmaking in Colombia.
- Demetrius Andrade vs Demond Nicholson
This card also sees the return of Andrade (31-0, 19 KOs), who hasn't fought since late 2021, when he stopped Jason Quigley in two rounds. Back then he was the WBO middleweight belt-holder, and unfortunately for him was never able to get the likes of Canelo Alvarez or Gennadiy Golovkin in the ring.
Then Jaime Munguia bypassed an opportunity to face him as the mandatory challenger, and then he himself turned down an opportunity to face Zach Parker as he made the decision to move up to super middleweight.
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It's been a rather unfulfilling career for the talented native of Providence, Rhode Island. He's made some money, won major world titles, but you get the sense that there should've been more. At 34 years old he is now in the twilight of his career. In Nicholson (26-4-1, 22 KOs) he is facing a decent fighter. Since losing to Edgar Berlanga, he has since notched three consecutive victories.
Should Andrade get past him, will he have any better luck getting the major fights in the PBC?
STACKED
As I mentioned earlier, the A-sides are heavy favorites on this card:
It's a far cry from 'Revenge, the Rematches', which was staged by Don King back on May 7, 1994. Check out this lineup:
- Frankie Randall- Julio Cesar Chavez II
- Gerald McClellan- Julian Jackson II
- Azumah Nelson-Jesse James Leija II
- Simon Brown-Terry Norris II
Now, THAT'S a stacked card. I still consider this the best top-to-bottom pay-per-view card. King truly set the standard back in the 90's with his events.
