Hector Luis Garcia, the Dominican southpaw boxer, opened up about the critical eighth round of his fight against Gervonta Davis, which significantly influenced the outcome of their lightweight title fight on January 7. In an interview, Garcia emphasized the disruption caused by a fan altercation at ringside, asserting that this break in the action at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., adversely affected his performance.
According to Garcia, referee Earl Brown halted the fight momentarily to address the ringside commotion, directing both fighters to neutral corners. This interruption, Garcia claimed, caused him to lose his rhythm and “grow cold,” impacting his ability to effectively engage with Davis once the fight resumed. This lapse in momentum, as Garcia sees it, set the stage for a pivotal moment later in the round.
With less than 20 seconds left in the eighth round, Davis landed a powerful left hand, visibly shaking Garcia. Although Garcia managed to stay on his feet until the round concluded, he experienced blurry vision that rendered him unable to continue the fight. Referee Brown consequently declared Davis the winner by technical knockout in the ninth round, with Davis leading on the judges’ scorecards.
Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs) reflected on the incident, expressing his frustration and confusion over the fight’s interruption and its impact on his performance. The loss to Davis, who retained his WBA world lightweight title that night, marked Garcia’s first professional defeat. He recounted how the bout’s resumption led to Davis’s decisive punch, which left him with impaired vision and disorientation, even leading him to mistakenly head towards Davis’s corner.
Now, as Garcia prepares to defend his WBA super featherweight crown against Lamont Roach (23-1-1, 9 KOs) in his first fight since the loss to Davis, he remains focused on the upcoming challenge. However, he can’t help but ponder the “what if” scenario of the Davis fight, had the ringside disturbance and subsequent break not occurred. This reflection underscores the often unpredictable nature of boxing, where external factors can unexpectedly sway the course of a bout. For Garcia, the incident in the Davis fight serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in the ring.
Image Credit: DAZN