Podcast: Previewing the Davis-Garcia PPV, 2023 boxing wishes, news of the week
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
The 2023 boxing calendar kicks off with the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia card on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, Showtime PPV, PPV.com) at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. and we’re here to preview the big show. We also ring in the new year with 2023 boxing wishes and plenty of notable news of the week.
Here is what’s on the show (in order):
A little chit chat, New Year’s activities and Davis-Garcia chatter.
Conversation about some of our boxing wishes for 2023 and can some of them actually happen, including the Showtime documentary that needs to be made?
Secondary welterweight titlist Eimantas Stanionis’ mandatory defense against Vergil Ortiz Jr. being set for March 18 (DAZN) and initial thoughts on the fight.
A fight between newly crowned featherweight titlist Luis Alberto Lopez and Michael Conlan is in the works for the spring.
The announcement of Matchroom Boxing’s first card of the year being set for Feb. 4 (DAZN) in New York with Amanda Serrano-Erika Cruz for the undisputed women’s featherweight title headlining and Alycia Baumgardner and Elhem Mekhaled fighting for the undisputed women’s junior lightweight title in the co-feature.
Full preview of Davis-Garcia. What does underdog Garcia have to do to give himself the best chance to score the upset? Are Davis’ legal issues a distraction for him? Is the planned April showdown against Ryan Garcia a distraction?
A preview of Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ interim welterweight title fight against Karen Chukhadzhian in the co-feature and what a win sets up heavy favorite Ennis for.
A look at the two other bouts on the PPV: welterweight Rashidi Ellis against Roiman Villa in a title eliminator and former two-division titlist Demetrius Andrade making his super middleweight and PBC debut in the opener against Demond Nicholson.
Listen, rate, subscribe and enjoy!
Davis photo: Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Please upgrade your subscription here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
