Gervonta Davis scores TKO as Hector Luis Garcia retires on stool before ninth

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gervonta "Tank" Davis discombobulatedHector Luis Garcia with a left hand in the closing moments of Round 8, which prompted the underdog to retire on his stool ahead of the ninth round on Saturday at Capitol One Arena.

Garcia explained through an interpreter that Davis hit him so hard that it temporarily blinded him.

"I didn't know where I was when he hit me with that shot. My head still hurts. I couldn't see, but my vision is back."

With the win, Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will move on to an April 15 super fight against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas, though that matchup hasn't officially been announced. At the time of the stoppage, Davis was ahead 79-73, 79-73 and 78-74 on all three scorecards.

"I was trying to beat him mentally," said Davis, 28. "I was trying to trick him with my hands and my eyes. He's a top fighter, so I had to bait him in. God willing, I'm ready for the fight [against Garcia]. It's scheduled for April. He's been training; he's been talking."

After a slow start, Davis found his rhythm in round four, connecting with a series of hard blows on Garcia, including a sharp counter right hand and a pair of hard lefts. Garcia, who holds a secondary title at 130-pounds and moved up to 135 for a career-high payday, continued to trade with one of boxing's most devastating punchers.

Davis, who is from nearby Baltimore, began to sit down on his shots in the fifth round and landed shots with increased ferocity in the sixth.

According to Compubox, Davis landed 99 of 239 punches (41%) and Garcia connected on 55 of 345 blows (16%).

"Tank" and Garcia were engaged in a back-and-forth round eight when the fight was paused by referee Albert Brown after a fight broke out in the crowd at ringside. The action resumed and shortly thereafter, Davis turned out the lights.

Davis could fight Ryan Garcia next in a 136-pound catchweight, but ultimately litigation could determine whether the fight takes place. Davis will stand trial on Feb. 16 in Baltimore for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident that took place in November 2020. Davis is accused of fleeing the scene of an accident that involved four people, including a pregnant woman. He faces 14 charges. A Baltimore Circuit Court judge declined to approve a plea deal that would have avoided jail time in lieu of house arrest.

Davis was also arrested in South Florida earlier this month after he allegedly punched a woman on right side of her head. He was charged with misdemeanor battery. He denied the allegations before the alleged victim, the mother of his daughter, claimed the star boxer did not hit her nor did he harm their child.

The saga unfolded just two weeks after a highly-publicized domestic violence case was discharged stemming from a February 2020 incident where Davis was accused of striking the mother of his daughter on the campus of the University of Miami at a charity basketball game in an ugly scene that was caught on tape.

"I have to bring my people in close and listen to my close ones, listen to Al Haymon and just stay focused," said Davis. "There's a lot of bumps in the road, but if we stay focused together, that's how I'll [maintain] longevity in the sport."