By Vince D’Writer: When asked the question four years ago, Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya admitted Ryan wasn’t ready for Tank, and apparently four years later he’s still not ready, as Gervonta Davis landed a crushing left hand body shot to stop Ryan Garcia in the seventh round on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The bout between Davis and Garcia was a highly anticipated matchup that has been in demand for a significant amount of time. Davis and Garcia have been linked to each other throughout their professional careers, and they finally received the opportunity to face each other inside the squared circle on the night of April 22nd.
Ryan Garcia placed Gervonta Davis on his radar back in 2018, but his pursuit for a chance to step inside the ring against Davis became more aggressive in 2021. After a complicated negotiation process, the fight was made as both boxing stars were ready to put their unblemished records on the line.
Coming into the bout, Davis was labeled as a power puncher who is also a complete boxer, while Garcia was placed in the category of a one-dimensional fighter who relies on landing his signature left hook. On fight night, the Garcia fans were waiting to see how Davis would respond after being hit with a trademark Garcia left hook, but unfortunately for them, the moment never occurred.
Both men possess explosive punching power, and as a result, Davis and Garcia were very cautious in the opening round of their 136-pound catch weight bout. Garcia tested the waters by throwing a few jabs, while Davis spent the majority of the first round using feints to see how Garcia would react.
In the second round Garcia threw caution to the wind, as he aggressively went after Tank Davis. Garcia was able to land a few solid punches, as his offensive attack forced Davis to clinch on multiple occasions.
As Davis continued to clinch and fight off his back foot, Garcia was determined to land something big. With 1:01 remaining in the second round, Garcia overcommitted as Tank Davis rolled under the left hook attempt, and proceeded to connect with a hard counter left hand shot that sent Ryan down to the canvas.
Ryan quickly rose to his feet, and he was able to survive the closing minute of round two. In the third round Garcia showed no ill effects from the knockdown as he continued his method of pressing forward.
In the third round Tank established three key tactics which were controlling Ryan’s lead hand, lateral movement, and winning the battle for lead foot positioning. By successfully utilizing these tactics, Gervonta Davis won rounds three, four, and five.
In the sixth round Garcia was more productive as he was able to land multiple straight right hand shots. In the following round after misfiring another left hook, Garcia was victimized by a Tank Davis liver shot that caused a delayed reaction. Garcia proceeded to take a knee, and he was counted out as Gervonta Davis won the fight by way of 7th round knockout.
Ryan Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) finally got the fight that he wanted, but unfortunately he didn’t get the result he desired. Tank Davis was able to take advantage of Garcia’s consistent flaws, such as the way he holds his head up high, and his linear footwork.
The 24-year-old Garcia came into the fight with the confidence and the desire to win, but from the perspective of pure boxing skills, it appears that Ryan Garcia is a level below Tank Davis. On Saturday night Garcia suffered his first loss, but he’s optimistic in regards to resuming his boxing career in the 140-pound division.
As for Gervonta “Tank” Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) he came into the fight and executed his game plan to perfection. In the sport of boxing, they say a blueprint on how to beat a boxer doesn’t exist until the boxer suffers his or her first defeat. On the night of April 22nd Davis formulated the blueprint on his arch rival by successfully taking his biggest asset out of the fight.
On multiple occasions Ryan Garcia tried to land his signature left hook, but Tank Davis was too elusive. Round after round Davis was able to identify and avoid the attempted left hooks. Tank’s performance illustrated the fact that if Garcia can’t land the left hook, he transitions from being a very good boxer into a slightly above average boxer.
The Baltimore native Gervonta Davis, proved once again that in addition to possessing devastating punching power, he also has superior boxing skills and a high ring IQ. After posting his 29th career victory, the 28-year-old Davis conducted a post-fight interview with sportscaster Jim Gray, and he spoke about his defining victory.
“Everything was exciting man, I was excited to be a part of this event. I remember coming up in the Golden Gloves and I seen Floyd fight at the MGM and it was crazy. I actually just seen Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl, and I was like that was going to be me one day, and we’re here.”
By defeating his longtime rival, Gervonta Davis didn’t win a belt but he did win a position. Jim Gray asked Davis about the position and Tank gave confirmation by stating, “I’m definitely the face of boxing, Abso-f***ing-lutely.”