LAS VEGAS – Elijah Garcia is hoping to get back on track when he fights for the first time this year in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Garcia will meet Delaware’s gifted Kyrone Davis at the MGM Grand in a fight that had been due to take place on March 30, only for Garcia to fall ill after the press conference on fight week.
“I wasn’t feeling good. I was feeling a little bit sick last time, but I’m good right now,” said the 16-0 (13 KOs) 21-year-old.
It means that Garcia has been out of the ring since September, and that has been a frustrating period for him.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” he admitted. “It’s June and I’m having my first fight, so that kind of sucks because I want to be fighting four or five times a year.”
Now he is going in with Davis, who is all business and wants to make the most of finally getting Garcia in the ring.
“It’s another 50-50 fight. I’ve had a couple of those and I know what it’s like to be in there with somebody of my caliber and I know what I need to do to win,” Garcia said.
“He’s very slick, he’s very fast and he’s a great counterpuncher, so I’ve got to stay on my toes.”
Garcia believes he could be the next star at 160 pounds, a weight division that is due a resurgence after the departure of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
The young fighter also knows that there is potentially an opening for somebody to come in and take the division by storm.
“Yeah, 100 percent, they are,” said Garcia. “And I can see myself becoming that star if I stay focused. I’ve got to stay disciplined and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.
“You’ve got [Erislandy] Lara. Lara is WBA champion, but he’s 41 years old. You’ve got the vacant WBC, Charlo just got kicked out as world champion, and you’ve got Janibek [Alimkhanuly]. He’s holding two titles, and I feel like the only one that has a really good name for himself is Carlos [Adames].
“I’d probably say Carlos is the best. He has more skills, more experience, he’s a good strong boxer.”
Garcia hopes that with activity and some more seasoning, he will be in the mix with the big names before long.
“First, I have to get through Kyrone. Then, after I win a world title, everyone will see how good I am,” Garcia said.