Following a heated exchange over FaceTime while appearing on a taping of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson’s “HotBoxin’’’ podcast on Wednesday, newly crowned interim WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia agreed to fight WBA champion Gervonta Davis.
Garcia was discussing his Saturday victory over Luke Campbell with Tyson and co-host Jeremy Piven. Garcia said on the show he wanted to fight Davis next, and Davis FaceTimed in.
Tyson held the iPhone for Garcia so he could see Davis, and the two got into an animated exchange.
At one point, Garcia said, “You’re 5-5. You’re going to need a ladder to hit me. You’re going to need a StairMaster. You won’t be able to touch me. You ain’t never fought a 135-[pounder] in your life. This is different. I don’t care what you say. You ain’t got nothing.”
If the fight happens — and Garcia promoter Oscar De La Hoya would have to close a deal with Davis promoter Leonard Ellerbe to make it a reality — it would pit two of the rising stars in the crowded and talented lightweight division.
The 26-year-old Davis, who is coming off a KO of the Year-caliber finish of Leo Santa Cruz, is 24-0 with 23 KOs. He holds both the WBA lightweight belt and the WBA super featherweight title.
Garcia, 22, is 21-0 with 18 KOs. Until his win over Campbell, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, he was known mostly for his massive social media following. Garcia has 506,000 followers on Twitter and 8.2 million on Instagram.
On Monday, Davis posted a mock poster to his Instagram that shows him and Garcia. The text says “Davis versus Garcia,” and below that it reads, “There is nowhere to hide.” Davis has 2.6 million Instagram followers.
Tyson was gleeful as Garcia and Davis went back-and-forth. Later, Tyson released a statement exclusively to Yahoo Sports in which he expressed delight at being able to help put the two young stars together in the ring.
“This just became one of the biggest events of 2021 and it was perfect to announce on ‘Hotboxin’’,” Tyson said. “Stay tuned: We’ve got a lot of big things coming.”
The entire podcast will be released shortly.
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