KingRy takes on a Tank
By: Shrey ChandraCan Ryan Garcia beat the odds and be a step closer to becoming the new face of boxing?
On Saturday April 22nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada, one of boxing’s longest-teased and most anticipated showdowns of the year will finally be upon us. Gervonta Davis (28–0) and Ryan Garcia (23–0) are scheduled for 12 rounds at a catchweight of 136lbs. While the fighters may not be contesting for any official title, the risk each man is undertaking and the bad blood between them makes this the most significant fight of their careers. The winner will not only be awarded a career defining accomplishment, but also has a chance to vindicate their pride against years of bitter trash talk.
The Solemn Smasher and The New “Golden Boy”
For Davis, high profile fights aren’t exactly anything new. At just 22 years of age he became a world champion at 130lbs, crushing Jose Pedraza in 7 rounds. Now 28, he has continued to compete in title fights ever since, maintaining his undefeated record and finishing all but one fight by KO. “Tank” hasn’t always been one for flashy words or entrances (early on, it was common for his promoter Floyd Mayweather to speak for him after fights), but he built a fearsome reputation by simply winning.
While he has turned in several signature performances, he has never taken on one of the very top fighters in his weight class. The biggest names he has beaten, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Leo Santa Cruz, occurred after both fighters had taken much damage and were years removed from their primes. That being said, it is undeniable that he has hungered for high profile opponents, with promotional boundaries often getting in the way. It appeared like it would again be the case, but we have been gifted with the most exciting possible option: Ryan Garcia.
Garcia has had a very different build up to this fight as compared to Davis. He competed in the Olympics and distinguished himself as a prized amateur from a young age. Making the most of the social media age, he built a powerful fan-base shortly after starting his professional career and was already bringing casual fans into the sport while still being humbly ranked in the Lightweight division. While some of the excitement around him followed naturally from his good looks and charisma on video, many have held high expectations based on his dazzling hand speed and impressive early performances. Although Garcia has rarely fought a top 10 ranked fighter (let alone won multiple championship bouts) he has remarkably gained twice as many Instagram followers as Davis. He has been openly proud of his stardom, embracing the “cocky-yet-loveable young man” motif his promoters crafted for him.
This may have made him appear a hype job to some - an outlook partially substantiated after Garcia struggled against Luke Campbell 2 years ago, getting knocked down on his way to a victory. The experience perhaps brought some perspective to Garcia, who took a break from the ring to manage his health. While this did not stop him from featuring in commercials that year, “KingRy” returned to fight at 140lbs and is now meeting Davis at 136lbs for their long-awaited rumble, looking to finally take on a top name and prove that he is the real deal.
An Unavoidable Collision
Considering their backgrounds, perhaps the trash talk between Davis and Garcia was inevitable. Initially promoted by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya respectively, the fighters are proteges of two former opponents who never quite got on good terms even after fighting. The newer generation seemed eager to create their own rivalry, spending years taking jabs at each other relentlessly on social media. Davis taunted Garcia’s supposed unhappiness with his purse in fights and Garcia retorted by bringing attention to Davis’ repeated involvement with law enforcement outside of the ring. The back-and-forth has included everything from harsh criticism of the other’s skills to insulting the other’s appearance. Fans were initially excited but quickly grew weary as news of the fight being made was slow to come. Many even began to assume the promotional difficulties between Golden Boy and PBC simply couldn’t be overcome. When after several months the fight did come to pass, fans were elated and grateful for the effort all involved had undertaken.
Meeting at a catchweight between their ideal weight classes (lightweight for Davis and jr. welterweight for Garcia), the limitation should neutralize some of Garcia’s natural advantage as the nearly 5-inch taller fighter. The 10lb rehydration clause for the bout will further limit Garcia’s potential to bully Davis with size, though this may not have been possible either way since nobody has ever bullied Davis. “Tank” combines offense with defense sublimely, sharply dipping into enemy range and forcing his opponents to miss before punishing them with devastating power punches. His style can appear violent and explosive on the surface, but on closer inspection one would see impressive footwork to position himself smartly and reduce the damage opponents can inflict on him.
Most noteworthy of Davis is obviously his power — Davis has one of the highest KO rates of any world champion, a statistic he has consistently boasted since becoming a title holder over 6 years ago. His destructive southpaw left was exactly the punch that knocked down Ryan Garcia against Luke Campbell, who will need to learn from his prior experience to not let that outcome repeat itself. Particularly, Garcia must show improved footwork when positioning his lead foot against his opponent’s; this repeated mistake is exactly what put him in danger against Campbell.
That’s not to say Davis isn’t facing significant danger himself. Though Garcia is the underdog, his punches carry the speed and power to crush any opponent in the division before they could even get to him. This becomes all the more possible against such a smaller opponent in Davis, who will have to avoid arguably the fastest punches he’s tackled in his career. Both fighters could stop the other with a single punch, delivered in the blink of an eye — the difference between winning and losing could be razor thin.
The Generation of Lightweight Destroyers
Whoever wins, they will be the most marketable name between 135lbs and 140lbs — weight classes absolutely stacked with the latest talent. The exceptional Devin Haney defends all 4 of his lightweight titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, who would make a natural next opponent. Other blockbuster fights could be made against former champions Teofimo Lopez or Regis Prograis, or against another undefeated rising star in Shakur Stevenson. Before worrying about the future however, let’s savor this moment where boxing has delivered a truly desired bout between two young, powerful, and genuinely antagonist fighters. The bragging rights alone may be worth more to the winner than any belt you might slap around their waist.
