Initially, fans raised an incredulous eyebrow whenever Ryan Garcia discussed his desire to face Gervonta Davis. His skills, while respected, were mostly thought to be no match for the hard-hitting Baltimore native. Still, despite those in boxing circles advising him to steer clear of the violent puncher, Garcia continually poked the lightweight bear.

Davis though, smiled, nodded his head, and shrugged as he viewed his younger foe as an innocuous opponent. Yet, following years of perpetual callouts and incendiary comments, Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) has decided to take him up on his fight offer.

Now, according to both parties, a deal has been struck that will see them square off in the first half of 2023. With just a few months remaining until Garcia attempts to notch the biggest win of his career, he’s decided to look past how incredibly long it's taken for their showdown to materialize and will instead focus on the here and now.

“I been asking for this fight since I was 17, 18 years old,” said Garcia to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “I guess he just always wanted to take the easier route which is fine. You can see by his opposition. It’s finally here, all I gotta say is all of that doesn't matter now. The fights happening.”

Well before becoming a household name, Davis made quick and easy work of his competition. Most recently, Rolando “Rolly” Romero trash-talked his way into a pay-per-view bout against the newly turned 28-year-old. Ultimately, the pugnacious Romero was forced to eat his words as Davis registered the devastating stoppage win in the sixth round in front of a jam-packed crowd in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Garcia, by and large, has remained mostly unimpressed with his longtime rival's opponent selection. In the meanwhile, after making it look relatively easy against Javier Fortuna, Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) registered his first victory over a multi-divisional champion.

Considering his current form and propensity for the dramatics, Garcia believes that despite Davis being the best opponent he’s ever faced, the end result will be convincingly lopsided.  

“I’m gonna whip him...bad.”