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They tested Elijah Garcia with a volume puncher, and he avoided the pressure.
Now comes a veteran who has been in there against David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell.
Pass this high-exposure screening from Kyrone Davis on Premier Boxing Champions’ March 30 Prime Video pre-pay-per-view main event, and the 20-year-old Garcia believes his next bout will be a WBA title shot.
“My goal for this year is to be a world champion, and it’s more than a possibility because I’m at No. 2 in the WBA rankings now,” Garcia told Boxing Scene from his Arizona home Tuesday, as he prepares for a media workout in his native state Thursday.
“I know if [Davis] beats me, I go back to the bottom of the ladder,” Garcia said. “He’s a good fighter. But I just want to show I’m ready to fight for the world title.”
The card is headlined by the WBO 154-pound title fight between champion Tim Tszyu and former welterweight champion Keith Thurman.
During the four-fight pay-per-view portion of the card, WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara of Cuba will defend his belt against Australia’s Michael Zerafa (31-4, 19 KOs).
Garcia said that bridging the experience divide against Davis, who has 131 rounds as a pro (against Garcia’s 54), will be critical after Garcia found a way to defuse the activity of Jose Armando Resendiz in their Sept. 30 pay-per-view bout in Las Vegas.
“[Resendiz] throws a lot of punches – more than 100 per round – but only 15 percent connected,” Garcia said. “So while people may say I need to work on my defense, I showed I can box. I’ll show more [March 30]. This is exciting.”