By Vince Dwriter: Fans of the sweet science are stalking boxers’ social media accounts and tuning in to all media reports as they are impatiently waiting for an official announcement for two mega fights. The biggest fight in boxing is the potential undisputed welterweight clash between WBA, WBC, and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr and WBO champion Terence Crawford, but coming in a close second is the prospective showdown between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia.
Despite the fact that a major title wouldn’t be on the line, the potential clash between Davis and Garcia is in high public demand. Fans want to see what will happen when the speedy, hard-hitting Ryan Garcia steps inside the ring with one of the best knockout artists in the game. In addition to being an elite knockout artist, Gervonta Davis is very skilled, and he also has a high boxing IQ.
Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a very popular boxer who is an undefeated fighter in the ring, but he built his enormous fanbase via social media. He often posts videos to illustrate his hand speed and his ability to throw hard shots to the body. His popularity on social media and his success in the ring has led to multiple endorsement opportunities.
The Baltimore native, Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 KOs), built his fanbase inside the ring because he is the owner of boxing fans’ favorite weapon. Davis’s boxing skills are sometimes overlooked because he has one-punch knockout power. Knockouts put fans in the seats, and with a knockout percentage standing at 93%, Davis has put fans in the seats at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, and the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Ryan Garcia developed a routine habit of calling Tank Davis out during his post-fight interviews. The utilization of social media added fuel to the fire as both boxers used it to communicate and exchange verbal jabs. They would finally receive the opportunity to speak with each other over the phone via video chat in January 2021 during an episode of Mike Tyson’s ‘Hotboxin’ podcast.
On October 10, social media played a part in this rivalry once again as both boxers posted similar statements. Gervonta Davis tweeted ‘Done’ with the eyes emoji, and moments later, Ryan Garcia posted ‘Done deal’ with two sets of eyes emojis. The media and the fans of the sweet science started assuming this was a couple of cryptic messages that meant the fight had been signed and greenlighted, but unfortunately, one of the fight promoters stated that wasn’t the case.
When asked if the tweets were a clue that the fight had been signed, Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya cleared the air during an interview with Fight Hub by stating the tweets didn’t have anything to do with the fight. He went on to explain the tweets were in reference to a conflict Garcia and Davis had at a nightclub. Oscar’s revelation is deflating, and it places the boxing fans back in limbo. However, De La Hoya did confirm that the negotiations are ongoing, but the question is how long will it take for the two sides to come to an agreement?
During the second half of the year 2022, boxing fans have been tortured with misinformation, cryptic messages, and false hope as it relates to the big matches they want to see. During the first quarter of 2022, it seemed like we were going to end the year with two mega fights, but now it’s looking like both fights will be potential bouts for 2023.
Similar to Spence-Crawford, the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia matchup has reached the point of no return. We have arrived at the point that this fight must happen, and it has to happen next. Fight fans have been toyed with and misled for a significant amount of time, and now boxing must reward the people who support their sport by giving them the fights they want to see.
