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Danny Garcia Returns To Face Brandon Rios
On Feb. 17 From Mandalay Bay
Two-division world champion Danny “Swift’’ Garcia returns to
the ring to take on former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam’’
Rios in a welterweight showdown on Saturday, February 17
live on SHOWTIME at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las
Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
In the co-feature, boxing’s youngest world champion David
“El Bandera Roja” Benavidez will defend his Super
Middleweight World Championship for the first time against
Ronald Gavril in a rematch of their thrilling September 2017
bout in which Benavidez won the vacant title by split
decision.
The card is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB
Promotions in association with DSG Promotions. The
Benavidez-Gavril rematch is co-promoted by Sampson Boxing.
“I’m excited just to get back in the ring,” said Garcia, who
was reigning world champion for the better part of six years
dating back to his win over Hall of Famer Erik Morales in
2012 through March 2017. “I needed the time off to
recuperate and let my body heal.”
Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) was a unified world champion at super
lightweight and welterweight and has fought and defeated
many of the most formidable opponents in both divisions
spanning two generations—Morales, Zab Judah, Kendall Holt,
Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Paulie Malignaggi and Lamont
Peterson among them. Four of his five opponents in the
welterweight division were world champions and 10 of his
last 14 opponents were world champions or former world
champions.
“I was the reigning champion for six years, so I needed the
rest,” continued the 29-year old Philadelphia fighter. “I’m
ready to kick off the year in style and take over the
welterweight division.”
In his last fight, a welterweight clash of world title
holders, Garcia lost via split decision to now unified
147-pound world champion Keith Thurman in a hard-fought,
exciting fight that aired live on CBS. The SHOWTIME BOXING
on CBS broadcast drew the biggest boxing audience of the
year, more than five million viewers which remains the
largest audience to witness a primetime boxing broadcast
since 1998.
Now, Garcia looks to re-establish his once dominant position
at welterweight, a division that boasts more top-10
pound-for-pound fighters in the sport than any other weight
class; fighters including world champions Errol Spence Jr.,
Thurman, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson and more.
“What’s interesting in this fight with Brandon Rios is our
styles. We both like to come forward. This kind of matchup
will bring out the best in both of us. I’m excited to be
back in Las Vegas. I’ve had some of my best performances and
some of my biggest fights there. I beat Lucas Matthysse and
Amir Khan in Vegas. You fight in Las Vegas, you’re a
superstar,” added Garcia.
Like Garcia, Rios has fought many of the top welterweights
of this era including world champions Timothy Bradley and
Manny Pacquiao. The hard-nosed slugger from Oxnard, Calif.,
has 34 wins, 25 by knockout. The 31-year-old Rios always
comes prepared to battle. With an aggressive style and
granite chin, he is one of the most entertaining boxers in
the sport. In his last fight he scored a TKO victory over
Aaron Herrera on June 11. A victory over Garcia, a top-10
welterweight in his own right, would immediately change the
course of Rios’ career and demand that he be placed among
the top-ranked in the division.
“I’m excited to prove my critics wrong again,” said Rios.
“I’m bring a ‘Bam Bam’ Rios slugfest to my fans. Danny is a
great fighter, but I will beat him just like I have beat
others in the past. I am focused and will make this a
classic Mexican-Puerto Rican battle!’’
“SHOWTIME is poised to start the year with two crucial
welterweight main event matchups,” said Stephen Espinoza,
Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME
Sports®. “Following the January 20th event pitting Errol
Spence Jr. vs. Lamont Peterson, Garcia vs. Rios features two
of the most battle-tested and ferocious 147-pound fighters
in the world. Add in the Benavidez vs. Gavril II co-feature,
a fight that is guaranteed to deliver dramatic action, and
we are picking up right where we left off in 2017 delivering
the most compelling and important matchups in boxing’s
deepest divisions.”
“We’re looking forward to the action at Mandalay Bay Events
Center in February,’’ said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather
Promotions. “Both Garcia and Rios are seasoned fighters that
have faced the toughest competition in the welterweight
division and they are both very hungry for a big win. The
co-feature rematch between the youngest reigning world
champion David Benavidez and challenger Ronald Gavril we
already know will be thrilling. All four of these men have
proven that they’ll put it all on the line in the boxing
ring to leave no doubt about who the better man is. In
addition, we are working on a crowd-pleasing undercard now.
Everyone on this card will need to bring their ‘A game’ to
Las Vegas in order to be victorious on February 17.”
“Danny Garcia is one of the most battle-tested, skillful
boxers in the sport. What he did in running through the
140-pound division before moving up to welterweight is
simply amazing,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB
Promotions. “’Bam Bam’ Rios is a throwback warrior. He never
met a fight that he backed down from. Putting Garcia and
Rios into the ring against each other promises nothing but
fireworks in a match that should provide maximum
entertainment for fans. It’s the kind of fight that belongs
in Las Vegas, a classic battle that harkens to welterweight
wars of the past. The first match between Benavidez and
Gavril left enough room for doubt that a rematch should
settle any remaining questions. I’d expect both boxers to
come in with something to prove and that translates into a
fan-friendly match.’’
The 21-year-old Benavidez (19-0, 17 KOs) became the youngest
reigning world champion in boxing and the youngest 168-pound
champion in history at 20-years, nine months old when he
scored a split decision against Gavril to win the super
middleweight title on September 8. The bout featured
multiple swings of momentum, thrilling exchanges and a wild
12th round. Benavidez and Gavril pushed each other to
deliver the best performance of their respective careers
thus far.
“I feel I won the fight,” said Gavril immediately after the
decision. “I dominated the pace. I can’t say anything else…
The only thing I can do is to ask for a rematch.”
On February 17, Gavril will get it.
“No excuses this time,” said Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson
Boxing. “The minute Benavidez finished the fight I requested
the rematch—on behalf of the winner—for the sole reason that
he needed to win by emphatically and not by split decision.
I wanted the public to be able to have the rematch so that
everyone will know who the best is. I expect this time
Gavril will say that he’s really been beaten. As the
youngest reigning champion in the sport today, I want no
doubt that Benavidez is the better man. It was a great fight
the first time and this time we’ll see who the best truly
is. No excuses. No doubt.’’
Fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz., Benavidez had scored 10
straight knockouts leading up to the match against Gavril.
His eight-round KO victory over Rogelio Medina put him
position for the vacant title.
“This is a fight that my father, my team and I decided to
take again to show everybody that I’m really the champion
and there’s more to me than just being the youngest world
champion,” Benavidez said. “I feel like I’m the better
fighter and I’m going to definitely show it this time. I
learned from that first fight that he puts on a lot of
pressure. He likes to throw at the same time that I’m
throwing. There are a couple different approaches to take
against that. It’s going to be a great night of fights.
Danny Garcia and ‘Bam Bam’ Rios, these are two fighters I
look up to in the sport and it’s an honor to fight in their
undercard. My training has been going well. We decided to
bring in a strength and conditioning coach and I feel really
strong. I believe I’ll be very prepared.”
Gavril (18-2, 14 KOs) rose rapidly through the ranks by
scoring seven straight victories including four by knockout
since 2015. The 31-year-old Gavril was born in Bacau,
Romania and now lives and fights out of Las Vegas. He fought
a brilliant match against Benavidez, seizing control in the
middle rounds and even dropping the young contender in the
12th with less than a minute left in the fight. Ultimately,
it wasn’t enough as Gavril lost on two of the three judges’
scorecards.
“I can’t wait to get into the ring again and take that
belt,” said Gavril. “I learned his game plan quickly during
the first fight, I blocked it well then, and I plan to do
the same again. He has fast hands and power, I won’t take
that from him, but I am prepared for whatever plan he comes
in the ring with. I know I have what it takes to win this
time. Preparing for this fight the second time around has
been different, training has been more intense, and my team
is preparing me to take him out once and for all. I can’t
let him win. Some people said I won back in September, and
were surprised by my performance. I thought it was close,
and I thought the knock down gave me the advantage to win.
All I can do is be ready. I don’t think either of us will
upset the fans on fight night. I want to thank Floyd
Mayweather and Leonard for another opportunity against
Benavidez. He’s a great fighter and tough competitor and
this will certainly be a great fight.”
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