By Jim Calfa: Former WBA lightweight world champion Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini says he feels 135-lb contender Ryan Garcia is a “basic” fighter and someone that does too much talking outside of the ring and not enough inside it.
Mancini, who is known for his many wars, doesn’t view the 23-year-old Ryan as possessing the talent of the other top lightweights like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, George Kambosos Jr, and Devin Haney.
It’s got to be a little troubling for the former rugged world champion ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini to see the vulnerability that Ryan has shown under fire in his fights against Luke Campbell and Carlos Morales.
Ryan looked fragile in his last fight against Campbell in January 2021, getting dropped hard in the second round by the non-puncher.
If Campbell was any kind of a finisher, he would have taken the badly hurt Ryan out after he staggered to his feet.
Next month, the unbeaten former WBC interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) is fighting Emmanuel Tagoe (32-1, 15 KOs) in the main event on DAZN at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
It’s an important fight for the tall 5’10” King Ry because his performance is going to be rated by the boxing fans, promoters, and the top guy in the lightweight division.
Ideally, what Ryan needs is an early knockout of the 33-year-old Tago to strengthen his position to get a world title shot against the winner of the June 5th undisputed lightweight championship between Geoge Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney.
Ryan Garcia is “basic,” says Boom Boom Mancini
“First of all, Ryan Garcia. I’ve seen him fight, I don’t get him. He’s basic, he’s basic,” said Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini to Secondout. “I don’t see anything, ‘I’d shy away from that fight,’ it’s basic. I don’t know.
“He’s a good fighter, don’t get me wrong. He’s a good fighter, good looking, but he’s more of a [social] media star,” ‘Boom Boom’ Mancin said about Ryan Garcia. “Do your talking in the ring, get it done in the ring.
“He’s a good-looking kid with all these followers and you’ve got the fanboys with him. I got all that, you need that, but just get in the ring. Stop talking and just do it,” said Mancini about King Ry Garcia.
It could be impossible to toughen Ryan up to fight in the mold that Boom Boom Mancini had during his career.
Ryan doesn’t possess the same warrior instincts that Mancini possessed during his career, and it’s late in the game for him to develop them.
Mancini admires Teofimo Lopez
“I got to know Teofimo, and I love this kid. He’s one of the best action-packed fighters to watch,” Mancini said about former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.
“I just wish he had come back sooner, for whatever reason, but I know he hurt his hand. So he can’t rush back, I got that. We understand that he was totally dehydrated, I understand that because I’ve been there when I lost my title, so I know that feeling,” Mancini said about Teofimo losing to George Kambosos Jr. last November.
“Even though you’re not 100%, you go through it because you can’t let the people down,” Mancini continued about Teofimo Lopez. “You’ve got an obligation to the promoters, you’ve got an obligation to the fans. So you can’t pull out of the fight, and I understand. I admire the fact that he even went the distance.
“Now, he’s moving up to a weight class [light welterweight] where there are a lot of great fighters and a lot of great wars for him up there.
“I’d just like to see him get back sooner, but you can’t rush his hand. I want to see him back in there, I’m a fan,” said Mancini in complimenting Teofimo.
Gervonta #1 at lightweight says Boom Boom
“Tank Davis is the best out of those four,” said ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini when asked who is the best fighter out of the big four at lightweight: Ryan Garcia Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, Devin Haney & George Kambosos Jr.
“I’m sorry, but with Teofimo in there, that would be the fight, Teofimo & Tank for the title if they were fighting in a round-robin tournament.
“Teofimo & Tank, I wish that fight could happen, but I think Teofimo is moving up [ to 140], and Tank is probably moving back down.
“He fought [Mario] Barrios for the [WBA light-welterweight] title, but he’s going to move back down to fight at 135 so that probably won’t happen, but maybe it could eventually,” Boom Boom Mancini said of Tank Davis.
