Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia have agreed to a rematch, setting the stage for another high-profile boxing showdown. The fighters have decided to face off at 140 pounds, with no catchweight this time around.
Their first encounter in April 2023 ended with Davis stopping Garcia in the seventh round. The fight was a commercial hit, pulling in over 1.2 million pay-per-view buys and generating a $22.8 million gate. Davis won that bout with a brutal body shot, which took place at a catchweight of 136 pounds.
Since then, both fighters have had different paths. Davis defended his WBA lightweight title against Frank Martin. Garcia, on the other hand, beat Oscar Duarte and then Devin Haney, but the Haney victory was overturned due to failed doping tests. These results led to Garcia's ban from boxing until April 2025.
Despite Garcia's current situation, talks of a rematch have heated up. Davis laid out his conditions for the fight in a recent interview:
"Yeah [it's a massive fight]. But not at 143, why 143? Probably at 140, that's the next weight class up from 135, it's the weight class he fights at. Let's do 140 and he can rehydrate back up to 150, or the most 152, I'm 135 brother."
Garcia had initially suggested a 143-pound catchweight, claiming the 136-pound limit in their first fight seriously hampered his performance. However, the fighters have now reached a verbal agreement on social media to meet at 140 pounds, which is the super-lightweight division.
The agreement includes a rehydration clause, limiting Garcia to 150-152 pounds on fight night. This condition addresses the weight disparity between the two fighters, with Davis typically competing at lightweight (135 pounds) and Garcia at super-lightweight.
While this rematch is generating buzz, it's worth noting that Davis has more immediate plans. He's expected to face Lamont Roach Jr in his next fight, which will be Roach's first step up to the lightweight division. An announcement for this bout is anticipated in March next year, after previous dates in December and January were pushed back.
The Davis-Garcia rematch promises to be another major event in boxing, building on the commercial success of their first encounter. Fans will be eager to see if the change in weight class will lead to a different outcome in this highly anticipated sequel.
