Win Over Ryan Garcia Fortifies Tank Davis's Claim as the Face of Boxing

The American boxer took another step in his takeover of boxing Saturday night when he delivered a seventh-round knockout of Ryan Garcia.

It was Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia.

Only it was all about Tank Davis.

It was two fighters with knockout power. But only one showed it.

It was a super fight … that turned out super one-sided.

The stars were out inside T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. Mark Wahlberg and Michael B. Jordan. Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. Damian Lillard and Dr. J. On the same night the Lakers faced the Grizzlies in Los Angeles, the marquee event was in Las Vegas. In front of north of 20,000 fans, Davis and Garcia battled for the spotlight. Over seven rounds, Davis was the one who took it.

The action picked up early. In the second round, Garcia missed with a left hook. Then another. Then another. For weeks, Garcia has crowed about his hook. Asked about the catchweight (136-pounds) and the rehydration limit (146), Garcia told me, “As long as he didn’t take [my left hook] from the contract, I’m O.K.” Davis, unsurprisingly, was prepared. After rolling under Garcia’s third try, Davis clipped Garcia with a hard left that put him on the canvas.

Garcia continued to apply pressure in the third. He adjusted, moving away from the hook and throwing more straight right hands. Davis, though, never seemed bothered. He moved. He set traps. When Garcia overextended, Davis was there to clip him with a counter. When Garcia advanced, Davis smiled and talked to him.

“It was fun,” said Davis. Pausing, he added, “while it lasted.”

In the seventh, it ended. During an exchange, Davis landed a short left to the liver. Garcia grimaced. He took a step back. He jabbed. He took another step back. Suddenly, he took a knee. “I saw his facial expression,” said Davis. At first, it looked like Garcia would recover. When referee Tom Taylor got to nine, Garcia winced. He never made it to ten.

Tank won by seventh-round knockout :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

“I thought he was going to get up but I like to play mind games,” said Davis. “So when he was looking at me, I was looking at him trying to tell him, ‘Get up!.’ And he just shook his head, no.”

“I ain’t got no excuses. I just couldn’t get up,” Garcia said.

For Davis, 28, it was a crowning moment. For years, Davis has been one of boxing’s biggest attractions. He has drawn large crowds in New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. He has collected highlight reel knockouts against Rolando Romero and Leo Santa Cruz. He has built himself into a pay-per-view attraction. But critics have pointed to Davis’s thin resume. After defeating Garcia, Davis will have a lot fewer of them.

“Davis was good,” said Garcia. “I think somebody a little more disciplined than me and has a little more activity can give him a lot of problems. But you can’t count him out because he has great power. You just got to be careful with Gervonta. You have to play it smart. I didn’t play it smart. I ended up getting knocked out.”

In the buildup, it was suggested that the winner of Davis–Garcia would be the new face of boxing. As long as Canelo Álvarez is active, that will remain a debate. But the West Baltimore–born Davis has staked a strong claim to be the face of American boxing. And with some potentially mouthwatering challenges ahead of him, including Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson, there is a pathway for him to take over the sport.

“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” Davis said. “Abso-f---ing-lutely.”

For Garcia, the loss was a disappointment. “I got a little too impatient,” Garcia said. It also exposed some flaws. His game plan was questionable. While naturally bigger, Garcia’s best shots are often counters. Yet against Davis, Garcia was determined to be the aggressor. When it lands, his left hook is devastating. When it misses, as it did against Davis, it can leave Garcia out of position and exposed. After the fight, Garcia confirmed he plans to move up in weight. “140, I’m coming for you,” said Garcia. But to compete with bigger, stronger fighters, Garcia and his trainer, Joe Goossen, will need to clean up some mistakes.

Davis won’t. “He’s a complete fighter,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. He landed 48% of his power punches against Garcia, per CompuBox. He limited Garcia to 24% in overall connects. His trainer, Calvin Ford, devised a brilliant game plan. Davis executed it flawlessly. The face of boxing? Davis is on a short list. After Saturday, it got a lot shorter.