-
Mike CoppingerESPN
The deal for the planned April 15 superfight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia hasn’t yet been completed because of a dispute over the rematch clause, sources told ESPN.
All other terms have been agreed to and are reflected in the contract that Garcia and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, received two weeks ago, sources said.
The rematch clause is unilateral and can be triggered only by Davis in the event he loses, sources said. Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate the rematch clause.
The unresolved issue pertains to the network and lead promoter of the potential return bout. Davis is promoted by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and fights exclusively on Showtime, while Garcia competes on DAZN.
The sides agreed that the 136-pound catchweight pay-per-view, which is slated to take place at a venue in Las Vegas, would be produced and distributed by Showtime with PBC as the lead promoter.
If Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) wins and the rematch clause is activated, Golden Boy and DAZN argue that their side should be the lead promoter and PPV producer/distributor, sources said.
PBC and Showtime maintain that the promoter and network should remain the same for a potential encore bout, according to sources.
Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn the lion’s share of revenue for the first fight, per sources, and is the betting favorite to win the bout. The 24-year-old native of Baltimore defeated Hector Luis Garcia (no relation) last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.
Garcia, 24, bypassed a planned tuneup bout in late January to head straight into the fight with Davis that is now in jeopardy. However, both sides remain optimistic the issue will be ironed out.
The matchup is arguably the biggest commercial event in all of boxing. Davis is one of the sport’s marquee attractions and has sold out arenas all over the U.S., despite never sharing the ring with a fellow star.
Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, boasts over 9 million followers on Instagram and is a genuine star in his own right.
Davis must also first attend to a Feb. 16 trial in Baltimore, where he’s accused of fleeing the scene of a car accident that involved four other people, including a pregnant woman.