By Robert Segal: Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’ former promoter Leonard Ellerbe predicts that he will “roll” over Ryan Garcia on April 22nd in their massive fight in Las Vegas.
Ellerbe, who remained friends with the WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Tank Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) after he recently left Mayweather Promotions, feels that he will have too much for Ryan (23-0, 19 KOs) due to his experience.
Leonard feels that the moment will be too big for Ryan, and he expects him to begin falling apart when he makes his ringwalk and starts listening to the crowd.
Is Gervonta Davis still with Mayweather Promotions?
“No, he’s not,” said Leonard Ellerbe to Fight Hub TV when asked if Gervonta Davis is still with Mayweather Promotions. “I was always confident that it would get done. It was just a matter of timing,” said Ellerbe about the Tank Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight.
“When you got two guys that really want to do something, they figure it out. This is a huge, huge mega-fight. On April 22nd, you’ve got two undefeated guys.
“Nothing but fireworks. It is the biggest fight, no doubt about it,” Leonard said when asked if Davis-Garcia is the biggest fight in boxing. “People don’t know what happens in negotiations.
“From our side, we never do things publicly because you can never get things done that way. Each situation is different, but this is the biggest fight in all the entire spot, and I’m just glad for the fans to see two young undefeated guys come together.
“It’s going to be a great fight. Imagine this. You’re trying to do a deal with somebody, and then you openly criticize the guy that’s at the top. Just think about it,” said Ellerbe.
Tank will roll over Ryan Garcia
“These two fighters were very adamant that they wanted to get this fight done for quite some time,” Ellerbe said about Gervonta and Ryan. “A couple of years, we [Mayweather Promotions] tried to make it, and they [Golden Boy Promotions] said that they had other plans for him [Ryan Garcia] at that particular time.
“Ryan was very adamant about it, and Tank as well. So this is what happens when you’ve got two guys that really want to do something. Yes,” said Ellerbe when asked if Tank vs. Ryan is bigger now than it was a few years ago.
“Tank is going to roll him over. I take nothing away from Ryan Garcia because he’s a very good fighter, but there are levels. What’s going to happen when he comes in the tunnel that night, and there are going to be fans there? It’s going to be like, ‘Damn, I’m fighting Tank Davis.’
“What’s going to happen the first time when he gets hit with a big shot that he don’t see? What happens when you hit the other guy [Tank Davis] with a good shot, and he just smiles at you? A lot of questions are going to be answered in this fight, and again, it’s going to be nothing but fireworks,” Ellerbe said.
Rehydration clause
“On paper, and he’s going to be his best opponent,” said Ellerbe when asked if Ryan Garcia is Tank Davis’ best opponent on paper. “Ryan Garcia can fight his a** off, but he’s just not a better fighter than Tank Davis.
“We don’t discuss details of what’s in deals,” said Ellerbe when asked about the 10-lb rehydration clause that Tank Davis’ side has put in the contract, adversely affecting Ryan Garcia a lot more.
“We don’t pay attention. If you want to fight, you fight. If you don’t want to fight, you don’t want to fight. He [Ryan Garcia] wanted the fight to take place at a higher weight. That didn’t happen. So why are you making a demand for something?
“You see what I’m saying? The most important thing, the fight got done. I was always confident that it would get done. It was just a matter of timing. When you’ve got two guys that really want to do something, you figure it out.
“I’m really excited to be a part of a historic event. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of success with Tank. He’s done his part in the ring. We’ve done our part as promoters, so it’s a wonderful thing.
“He knows what we bring to the table. He’s a tremendous fighter, and he knows we go balls to the wall to make it happen. I’ve been telling everybody from day one that Gervonta Davis will be one of the biggest stars in the sport.
“A lot of people looked at me like I was crazy. I told y’all. This is a perfect example of when you’re in the prime of your career and you have a platform like this to go out there and showcase your skills in a mega-fight, and that’s awesome,” said Ellerbe.
Tank vs. Ryan = historic event
“I’m just excited to be part of a historic event,” said Ellerbe. “Contracts don’t define what relationships are,” said Ellerbe about how he’s still friends with Tank Davis, even though he’s no longer with Mayweather Promotions.
“We haven’t had a contract with Rolly since 2019, but we got a working relationship. That’s my guy. People know how I get down. That’s a lifetime thing. I’m loyal to whatever I’m doing.
“I’m very passionate when it comes to boxing. Our young guys, if you’ve been to our fights, I be jumping up and down in the same way, showing the same kind of emotion. We’re very passionate about this, and I think someone can touch on it.
“Somebody asked me what my proudest moment as a promoter was, and I said was watching Ishe Smith when his world title. You could see the emotion in the ring from him to Floyd to me. That’s what it’s all about.
“It’s not the level star that you are. If you have a relationship and you give it your all in any situation you work with. We’re very passionate. That’s why when they were saying and making jokes about somebody’s contract expiring. We don’t pay attention to those kinds of things.
“Because when you go out there and do a great job, and people respect you, it is what it is. We’re always the mindset that when you have good relationships with people, that’s what it’s all about.
“Both guys are tremendous fighters. Tank’s star power is different, but Ryan is a star within his own right, a guy that I have a lot of respect for inside and outside the ring. You’ve got two young guys coming together, and this will be a mega-event.
“The timing is right, and the fans are the winners. There’s no doubt it’s a mega-fight. I don’t want to get into making predictions,” said Ellerbe when asked what his prediction was for the number of PPV buys Tank Davis vs. Ryan Garcia generates.
“This is the biggest fight in all of boxing. Between all of us, we’re going to do everything we possibly can to make this into as big event as possible. When you have relationships with people, you want to see them win in life, and that’s how I am. I’m not a hater,” said Ellerbe.
