By Jim Calfa: Trainer Joe Goosen says Ryan Garcia has a “much heavier punch” than the WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
Goosen says the 24-year-old Ryan (23-0, KOs) is a true welterweight once he rehydrates for his fights at 135, and he’s going to have a size & power advantage when he faces the unbeaten 5’5″ Tank Davis.
The 28-year-old Gervonta will be taking a January 7th tune-up fight in Washington, DC, before facing Ryan on April 15th in a catchweight bout in Las Vegas on DAZN & Showtime.
Tank’s secondary World Boxing Association lightweight belt wont be on the line. So if Ryan wins, Tank will still be the WBA champion, albeit a secondary one below the full champ Devin Haney.
Ryan hits harder than Tank Davis
“When he works out, people are hypnotized; they can’t believe what they’re seeing,” said trainer Joe Goosen to Fighthype, talking about his fighter Ryan Garcia.
“If there were a tune-up fight, I wouldn’t dissuade from that. I would probably embrace that.
“I know Tank has a very great offense, and it does when it’s going his way, but it’s not like Tank has had it his way his entire career. When you go up against the top-notch competition, it’s like baseball. Some of the greatest players get struck out by great pitchers, and sometimes, they bang out home runs.
“You might strike out once or twice earlier in the game and then hit the game-winner out of the park in your third time at bat. It’s the same thing in a fight.
“You might be getting hit a little bit in the mid-rounds, and then you start overwhelming the guy and knock him out of the park, and then you get the late knockout. So, nobody is immune to getting hit.
“The thing is, I think per square inch, Ryan possesses a much heavier punch [than Tank Davis]. I believe that for a particular reason. With that said, neither one of these guys want to get hit with the other guy’s best shot.
“I don’t think anybody would be telling the truth, ‘I don’t mind if Ryan Garcia hits me five or six times really solidly.’ I don’t think anybody would say that.
“You don’t want to get hit by either one of these guys, but I believe that Ryan is the bigger guy too. I think Tank is at the right weight now at 135 with his size. Ryan just turned 24 in August. He’s still growing,” said Goosen.
Kingry = true welterweight
“He looks like a full-fledged welterweight in the ring,” said Goosen about Ryan. “It was like De La Hoya. I went up against De La Hoya in 95 against Rafael Ruelas, and Ruelas was 5’10”, maybe 5’11”, and he fought at 135. But De La Hoya at 130, I said back then, ‘Oscar De La Hoya is a welterweight fighting at 130 right now,’ and he was a welterweight when he was fighting at 135.
“He was 5’11.” Look at the size of Oscar if you see him now. He filled out eventually, but he looked like a welterweight when he was fighting at 135, and I believe Ryan has the same type of build.
“He’s not only going to be heavier, but he’s got a longer reach,” said Gooosen about Ryan Garcia’s advantages over Tank Davis. “He’s got a distinct advantage in height, and he’s a clever guy. He’s got quick hands, he’s got incredible power, and like I said, he’s going to be a welterweight in a 135-lb weight class when they fight.
“My faith in Ryan Garcia, as good as Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is, I am so confident in Ryan’s abilities to win this fight that I wish it were a little bit sooner, to tell you the truth.
“If Tank is having a tune-up, I suspect the negotiating team, with Ryan’s input, I suspect they’re mulling something over. What it is, I’m not exactly sure yet because they just cleared the paperwork off the deck today for this fight,” said Goosen.
