By Sean Jones: Canelo Alvarez says Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis still isn’t the ‘Face of Boxing’ like he and his fans are now calling him after his win over the novice Ryan Garcia.
Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) says that he’s still not retired yet, meaning that until he hangs up his gloves, Gervonta WON’T be the ‘Face of Boxing.’
Further, Canelo states that beating just Ryan Garcia isn’t enough for Tank Davis to become ‘The Face of Boxing.’ If that’s how that label was earned from beating an Instagram/boxer hybrid fighter, it would cheapen the label, making it something you get out of a box of Crackerjacks.
Canelo didn’t say who Gervonta needs to beat for him to earn the Face of Boxing tag, but it’s probably these guys:
- Shakur Stevenson
- Keyshawn Davis
- Vasily Lomachenko
- Devin Haney
- Regis Prograis
- Jose Ramirez
- Subriel Matias
- Gary Antuanne Russell
It would be a good idea for Tank Davis to stop using rehydration clauses to win fights.
Canelo thinks he’s still the face of boxing
“I’m not retired yet, my friend. It’s not that easy. I like Gervonta Davis a lot, but he needs to do more to be the face of boxing. One fight with Garcia, and I respect Ryan Garcia, isn’t going to do it,” said Canelo Alvarez to the media in reacting to Gervonta Davis and people calling him the new ‘Face of Boxing.’
“I think you may see one of the best atmospheres that you’ve ever seen in boxing,” said Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing about Saturday’s fight between Canelo Alvarez and John Ryder in Guadalajara, Mexico.
“Dallas Cowboys [stadium] with Billy Joe Joe Saunders [against Canelo in 2021]. That’s going to be tough to break, but this is different. This is his home. This is his people, and the atmosphere they create on Saturday night will be one of the most special you’ve seen in boxing.
“John Ryder is here not to make up the numbers. John Ryder is here to try and create and achieve one of the greatest upsets from a British fighter of all time,” Hearn said.
Ryder is confident of victory
“I’ve never seen John so confident, weirdly, going into a fight, especially as difficult as this,” Eddie said. “He’s had a great camp; he’s in the shape of his life. His confidence is at an all-time high. He feels, and I think he’s right, this is the best time to fight Canelo Alvarez.
“He’s coming off an operation; he’s coming off a couple of okay performances last year, and John is confident, but he’s got it all to do, especially against that crowd. But it’s going to be super special on Saturday night.
“It’ll be an occasion that this country will never forget. No, but he needs to win rounds,” said Hearn when asked if Ryder needs a knockout to avoid being the victim of a hometown decision. “You can’t afford to have close rounds against Canelo Alvarez in Guadalajara.
“You’re coming into his backyard, the king of boxing, the undisputed champion, to rip the belts from him, and I expect John to fight aggressively in this fight.
“Honestly, I think it’s going to be a great fight because I don’t think John is going to coast through rounds, losing rounds. He’s going to have to have to get up close; he’s going to have to get into his chest; he’s going to have to work on the inside.
“That’s all the things that are going to make Canelo Alvarez fight, and I think the styles will blend well, and I think it’ll be a great fight. Every fighter you represent, especially the ones that you have a close relationship with, you want them to leave the sport knowing that they’re secure,” Hearn said.
John securing his future
“It’s a short career. You know, for John to retire in his mid-30s, and from there, I’m sure he’ll go on and stay in the sport, but you want to make sure financially the house is paid for, and the kids are looked after. That is what this fight does,” said Eddie about Ryder.
“He’s really done that all himself. Yeah, we’ve given him opportunities, but I tell you, John Ryder has been thrown in the deep end, thrown in the deep end. We’ve struggled for opportunities. He’s had to take fights that probably weren’t the right fights. He’s carved out victories.
“Of course, the Daniel Jacobs victory was great. The Zach Parker win was great. John is a great example to fighters that you always keep believing in yourself. If you’ve got the ability and you do the right things, and you stay consistent, you will be rewarded, and this is John’s reward on Saturday night.
“I promise you that John’s not looking at this fight for financial security. He’s looking at this fight to become the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world, and if he wins this fight, he goes down as one of the British legends of the sport. But it’s there for him, and you won’t be disappointed in his efforts,” said Hearn.
Alvarez still haunted by loss
“Canelo wants to rematch Bivol. I’ve said it a million times. That’s my instructions from Eddy Reynoso,” said Hearn. “They want revenge for that defeat. It’s a tough fight. It may be the wrong fight, but it doesn’t matter. They should be applauded for that. Most people would say, ‘No, don’t fight Dmitry Bivol.’
“He wants the opportunity to rematch him, but we’ll see what Saturday brings. Canelo wants the same terms as last time. Canelo wants to fight on the terms he got beat on, and Dmitry would quite like it at 168 to try and win the undisputed.
“Dmitry is going to have to drain himself down to 168. If Canelo wins, he’s not going to get what he feels are the rewards from the public, the people, and the pundits. He wants to do the impossible in some people’s eyes, which is to beat Dmitry at 175, but it’s a bit crazy. That’s Canelo Alvarez.
“He wants the biggest challenges. He doesn’t want to say, ‘I beat Dmitry Bivol because I brought him down to 168.’ He wants to beat him on all the terms he lost to him last time,” said Hearn.
