Tale of the Tape: Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia
We look at how Gervonta Davis, one of the world's best pound-for-pound boxers, stacks up against undefeated sensation Ryan Garcia ahead of their upcoming fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.
One of the biggest fights in boxing is set to take place this Saturday when Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Ryan "King Ry" Garcia square off in a highly anticipated showdown between two of the sport's biggest stars.
Davis enters the bout riding an impressive winning streak that features three WBA (regular) lightweight strap title defenses, including victories over Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, and Hector Garcia. Tank soundly handled Hector with an eighth-round stoppage in January.
Davis won't be defending his strap in this 12-round, 136-pound catchweight bout, which includes a 10-pound rehydration clause and a winner-take-all purse grab after the two fighters recently came to a verbal agreement. However, a long-standing rivalry with Garcia has long been on the periphery for the Baltimore native.
"An explosive fight. Two young guys that are hungry. It's just who wants it more," Davis said at a press conference in March.
"Who's built like that? That's who's gonna win. That's who's already won. Nobody can fight for him, nobody can fight for me. It's about who's really got that dog in him. That's who's gonna win."
Garcia, meanwhile, hasn't been in the ring since July 2022 when he dominated Javier Fortuna with three knockdowns and a sixth-round finish.
"The Flash" doesn't possess the same kind of resume as Davis, but he's an electric fighter with sneaky power who has one of the biggest social-media followings in boxing. The West Coast native should have most of the Las Vegas crowd on his side, even against the immensely popular Davis.
Davis' camp was smart to include a rehydration limit to provide him protection. Garcia, who hasn't fought at a weight this low since a January 2021 bout with Luke Campbell, could've potentially beefed up into the 150-160-pound range without being capped. Dehydrating himself could also prove disadvantageous for Garcia.
Garcia has a major height and reach advantage over Davis, but those things haven't been significant factors for Tank in the past. The southpaw looked comfortable against a similar-sized Mario Barrios in June 2021, although Barrios doesn't possess the same skill or punching power as Garcia.
It'll be interesting to see if Davis' long-running and well-documented legal problems interfere with his mental game ahead of his bout. The 28-year-old is awaiting sentencing for traffic violations that left four people, including a pregnant woman, injured in November 2020, with the determination expected to come May 5. However, he didn't look off his game against Hector Garcia after he was arrested days before the bout.
Saturday's main event should be explosive, no matter what the outcome. Two of boxing's biggest stars. A long-running feud between two undefeated fighters. Las Vegas.
What more could a boxing fan ask for?