A planned Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia April super-fight is now in jeopardy after “Tank” pled guilty to hit-and-run charges on Thursday.
As talented and celebrated a fighter as Gervonta Davis is, he has developed a hard-to-defend reputation out of the ring. In 2017, he was arrested after allegedly punching a friend. The following year, he was jailed after being part of a street fight in D.C. Then two years later, he was arrested after a physical altercation with an ex-girlfriend that was caught on video.
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In 2021, Davis was hit with over a dozen charges in relation to a hit-and-run incident in November 2020 and to start off this year, he was arrested in Florida on charges of “battery domestic violence” against the mother of his one-year-old child. The punishment for the latter charge has yet to be determined, however, ramifications for his run-in with the law in 2021 could be revealed soon.
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia bout could be pushed back to end of 2023 or 2024
On Thursday, after being denied the chance to secure a plea deal, Gervonta Davis pled guilty to hit-and-run charges stemming from the incident in November 2020 that injured four people, including a pregnant woman.
The undefeated boxer pleaded guilty to charges of “leaving the scene of an accident involving bodily injury, failing to notify of property damage, driving with a revoked license, and running a red light (via ESPN).” He is set to be sentenced on May 5 and is doing so without having any idea of what the eventual penalty could be from Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy.
The assumption for the last few months has been that a Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia bout could take place in April. While it is not completely out of the question, the matchup that was announced last year has yet to be finalized with a date, location, and venue.
Now, with Davis set to be sentenced in May and still facing charges in Florida, setting up a bout with so much turmoil around him could be a difficult public relations task for the promoters of the fight. More than likely, both sides may wait until May to decide what comes next and possibly aim for a matchup later in the year or in 2024.
Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia was set up to be one of the most highly anticipated boxing bouts of 2023 as it pitted two of the best young fighters in the world in a catchweight bout.