The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia pay-per-view undercard has been finalized with contender David Morrell Jr., veteran Gabe Rosado and prospect Elijah Garcia being featured in competitive bouts.
Morrell Jr. will defend his WBA super-middleweight title against Sena Agbeko in the co-main event. The champion is on a five fight knockout streak extending back to 2020. This fourth defense comes on the heels of a 12th round stoppage over Aidos Yerbossynuly last November.
“I’m very excited to be the co-main event of this incredible night for boxing,” said Morrell. “’Tank’ Davis is one of the sport’s biggest superstars and my aspiration is to one day be on the Mount Rushmore of boxing next to him. On April 22 I’m going to dispatch my opponent in sensational fashion. And after this fight I want the ‘Mexican Monster’ David Benavidez, but first I have to get past a tough and very capable opponent in Agbeko. I intend to take care of my business on April 22 and then look forward to taking on David Benavidez in a fight that the fans want to see.”
A Ghana native, the 27-2 Agbeko is on a four-fight win streak with the latest being a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Isaiah Steen.
“I’m very thankful to my entire team for this incredible opportunity to fight for the title,” said Agbeko. “This is a stern test against one of the best super middleweights in the world in the co-main event of the biggest fight of the year. This is an opportunity that I relish greatly and is exactly how I envisioned winning the belt. I’ve had a long journey to get to this point, but I’ve always trained like a guy with a target on my back. I want to win the belt and be the fighter that everyone is going after. I have a great team behind me and I can’t wait to properly introduce myself to the boxing world on April 22.”
Bektemir “Bek the Bully” Melikuziev finally gets his opportunity to avenge his only defeat when he faces Gabe Rosado in a 10-round rematch. Rosado scored a shocking one-punch knockout of Melikuziev back in June 2021. Since suffering his first defeat, Melikuziev has scored four straight stoppages while Rosado has not won a bout, suffering losses to the likes of Jaime Munguia, Shane Mosley Jr. and Ali Akmedov.
“It was tough having the fight against ‘Zurdo’ canceled, but now it’s me versus Bek on the biggest fight card of the year,” said Rosado. “I’m focused and ready to put Bek back in check. I look forward to being part of a historical fight card, and I plan on dominating ‘The Bully’ once again!”
For Melikuziev, he’s relishing the opportunity to avenge his only defeat.
“This is the fight I wanted and the most important fight for me today,” said Melikuziev. “This is the fight to right the wrong. I am so lucky to make it on the biggest card of the year. I want to thank my team, my promoter, and of course, Rosado, for giving me this opportunity.”
Opening the card is 19-year-old prospect Elijah Garcia squaring off against Kevin Salgado. Garcia capped a four-win 2022 with a first-round stoppage over Cruse Stewart. Salgado is seeking a return to contention after a setback unanimous decision defeat to Joey Spencer last September.
“I’m thrilled to be part of this major pay-per-view event and I’m excited for the opportunity,” said Garcia. “After my last fight, I’ve been in the gym waiting for the time to showcase my skills yet again. I’m planning on putting on a great performance against Salgado on April 22. The main event is a great fight and ‘Tank’ is a beast, and Ryan is undefeated and talented and will be a tough test. But make sure you don’t miss my fight, because it’s going to be a Mexican war for all of the fans.”
“I know that I’m facing a good opponent, but I’m ready to surprise the boxing world,” said Salgado. “This is a great opportunity for me. I’m grateful to be in this position and I’m coming to take full advantage of it. I’m feeling strong in training camp and I’ll be ready to test Garcia and see where he stacks up.”
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and are available through www.axs.com.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 