LAS VEGAS, NV—On Saturday, April 22, the long-awaited clash between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davies took place at the T-Mobile Arena.
“King” Ryan Garcia got the better of the opening round in a half with good output and movement. Gervonta “Tank” Davies barely threw a punch during this period. He was accompanied by his old mentor Floyd Mayweather.
HBO pointed out prior to the fight that Garcia had a tendency to over commit to certain punches leaving him exposed. That’s exactly what happened halfway through the second round as Davies dropped an over-zealous Garcia.
Garcia quickly rose to his feet. This was the second time Garcia had been dropped in his career. During both occasions, he quickly rose to his feet and showed no signs he was stunned.
Davies excellently quelled early attacks by Garcia using wrestling like tactics.
At no point during the fight did Davies land a barrage of punches, but everything he did land seemed to damage Garcia. Forty-eight percent of Davies power punches landed as he was able to access with great ability when Garcia made subtle mistakes.
The finish in the 7th round was akin to a knockout frequently seen as a result of a kick to the body in MMA. Garcia backed up routinely after being hit by a straight left to the body. He took a knee in a delayed reaction as the wind had clearly been taken out of him.
His mid-section appeared to be limp as he attempted to rise to his feet late while the referees called count. He failed to make it to his feet in time and the fight was over.
Two-time UFC champion Conor McGregor said from Garcia’s dressing room after the fight he would like to see it again with no rehydration clause. This is referring to the amount of weight Garcia was contractually allowed to gain after the weigh in. Garcia was the taller/heavier of the two boxers in the match.
