By Adam Baskin: Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe seemed pretty calm after Friday’s alteration between his former fighter Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia at the weigh-in, which Tank initiated.
Not prepared to be shoved violently, Ryan’s head was whip-lashed from the hard shove by Tank, as if he was in a car accident.
No word yet whether Tank will be fined for his altercation because there could have been an injury. If Ryan comes out wearing a neck brace tomorrow, I’ll be the first one to say, ‘I told you so.’
Presumably, Tank (28-0, 26 KOs) was told before the weigh-in to keep his hands to himself and not attack Ryan (23-0, 19 KOs), but it appears he couldn’t control himself.
Ellerbe seemed almost jubilant afterward as if Tank had already won the fight with Ryan instead of two dealing with the perfunctory weigh-in before tomorrow’s secondary weight check for the 10-lb rehydration clause. Hopefully, Gervonta can control himself and resist attacking Ryan again on sight.
“We’re here now. All the talking is done. I can’t wait to see Ryan Garcia get knocked out,” said Leonard Ellerbe to Fight Hub TV following today’s weigh-in, which saw Gervonta Davis rudely shove Ryan Garcia during the face-off.
“He should know all about that. He’s done that throughout his whole career,” said Ellerbe about former six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya, who had been the A-side through much of his career.
“All that complaining about the rehydration and all that. Why take the fight? You didn’t have to take the fight. You weren’t the mandatory. You didn’t have to take the fight.
“I’ve been saying all along, it’s the biggest fight in boxing right now,” Ellerbe said about the Tank vs. Ryan fight. “You saw hundreds of thousands of fans right out here.
“None of that’s happening. We all know that Ryan is getting clipped,” said Ellerbe when told that Ryan’s father, Henry Garcia, is saying that he could break Tank Davis’ jaw. “Why not? None of this is personal. Just business,” said Ellerbe when asked if there would be handshakes between Gervonta and Ryan after the fight.
“We have no problem doing business with anybody, bottom line,” said Ellerbe, forgetting that Tank Davis is no longer with Mayweather Promotions.
I hate to be the one to break this to Ellerbe, but there is no “we” anymore when it comes to Tank Davis. That ship has sailed, and it won’t be coming back around.
