clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nonito Donaire talks David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant and Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia, says both fights depend on who can impose their style

Nonito Donaire says Ryan Garcia has a good chance to beat Gervonta Davis if he’s able to maintain focus and discipline.

Nonito Donaire puts on his analyst cap for a couple of big upcoming fights.
Wil Esco is an assistant editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2014.

Nonito Donaire lends his boxing brain to us by breaking down how he views the fight style contrast in the fights between David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant and Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia. Donaire explains why both of these fights will come down to whomever is able to impose their style against their opponent, and why there will be opportunities for each fighter to win. Check out some of what he had to say below.

Donaire on Benavidez vs Plant

“I think that’s a very interesting fight because Benavidez, he’s aggressive, he’s bigger, he packs a heavy punch. And then you have Caleb Plant who’s a tremendous boxer, very smart, and he boxes well. So it’s an opposite things we have, it’s classic boxing fights with the fighter and the boxer.

“So in order for Benavidez to win the fight, he has to be aggressive. He has to be (in) his face the whole time. In order for Caleb Plant to win the fight he has to box good, has to use feints, has to use jabs, has to use lateral movement to win fights — at least to win this fight.

“If Benavidez comes in there with pressure that breaks Plant’s mentality like Canelo did, I think that he’ll be able to break him down. But if Plant uses that jab, uses lateral movement, use the feint, it’s hard to break him down because he’s not in front of you all the time. Whoever imposes their style wins this fight.”

On Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia

“It’s a matter of Ryan maintaining that control of speed and distance that makes him win the fight, and he has that speed to do it. For Tank, he has to press. He has to press, block, block, move his head and counter, and get inside. And it’s a matter of time where he mentally drains Ryan Garcia. Now if Garcia is able to persevere and has the discipline to keep that distance, then the fight is very most likely go (to) him.

“But if what we see with Ryan in his mental state, if we break that Tank will most likely break him down. So the fight is interesting.”

On Ryan Garcia’s decision not to take a tune-up before going into this fight with Tank

“The pros is he’s focused on the fight. The cons is he doesn’t have the tune-up, to get his body in there. But you don’t really need that. I think that with him being young and being eager, it’s best for him to focus on the fight with Tank and not take the tune-up. I think he made a good choice when in comes down to that.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bad Left Hook Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your global boxing news from Bad Left Hook