/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72208018/1484287437.0.jpg)
Gervonta “Tank” Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia with a seventh round body shot on Saturday night, taking Garcia’s undefeated record in triumphant, sudden fashion.
Davis (29-0, 27 KO) is getting plenty of praise from around the boxing world, as you’d expect, and Garcia (23-1, 19 KO) is taking some hits, which you might also have anticipated given the years of backlash against his promotional push and popularity.
“Tank didn’t run over Garcia, but picked his moments, and those moments were enough! Garcia had no answer for Tank’s patient and smart game plan,” former titleholder and DAZN analyst Sergio Mora said.
“Garcia had no game plan! No plan B once that check hook was not landing and Tank refused to get aggressive! Different variety of jabs would’ve been the key for the taller, faster fighter! One jab at a time didn’t fool the patient power of Davis.”
Mora did admit a basic truth of fighting, though, following with, “Body shots make cowards of us all.”
Another former titleholder and current analyst, Tony Bellew, also had some criticisms for the 24-year-old Garcia.
“Spewed it! Yes, (body shots) really hurt, but you’ve gotta rise! Do it once and you’ll do it again!” he began. “The attributes Garcia has are amazing! He’s the quickest and one of the biggest fighters in the division yet he lets people get to him! If he uses them gifts he has properly, then I swear he’d be almost impossible to beat! Amir (Khan) had similar attributes! Stay away and box!”
As you can tell, fighters often love exclamation points.
Bellew also had big praise for Davis: “Tank Davis is the biggest puncher the lighter weight divisions have seen since Nassem (Hamed), imho! Tank was given good advice in the corner and that played a big factor! The fights that can be made for Tank are mouthwatering! Shakur, Loma, Haney, etc!”
Ishe Smith had a very simple statement on Garcia: “He fucking quit,” the former titleholder wrote. “Man, it didn’t even look solid, but I think about Gatti, about Corrales, about Holyfield. This man quit. Think of Wilder vs Fury, man, this man quit.”
Mike Alvarado had a more sympathetic approach: “I get it. Out of all my 45 fights, the liver shot has been the worst pain I’ve felt that I been hit with.”
More from the pros:
Sharp performance
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) April 23, 2023
I told y’all Ryan was gonna win!
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 23, 2023
I called it. I said 6-9 stoppage
— Rougarou (@RPrograis) April 23, 2023
Tank didn't run over Garcia, but picked his moments and those moments were enough! Garcia had no answer for Tank's patient and SMART gamelan! #TankGarcia
— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) April 23, 2023
Garcia had no game plan! No plan B once that check hook was not landing and Tank refused to get aggressive! Different variety of jabs would've been the key for the taller, faster fighter! One jab at a time didn't fool the patient power of Davis. #DavisGarcia
— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) April 23, 2023
Body shots make cowards of us all.
— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) April 23, 2023
It’s ironic how Garcia got knocked down by Campbell in the second round, like tonight, and came back to stop Campbell with a body shot in the 7th, to then get stopped in the 7th round tonight with a body shot.@ShowtimeBoxing @premierboxing #GarciaDavis
— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) April 23, 2023
Credit to Ryan though. You can say he had an uphill battle, but in the end it takes a lot to step in that ring, especially with a puncher who has a more tools than just his power.
— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) April 23, 2023
Fear will stop a man from doing almost anything….. I’ll explain tomorrow
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) April 23, 2023
Oh wow. Slo mo shows it lands right on the spot!
— Dave Coldwell (@davidcoldwell) April 23, 2023
Horrible body shot that was.
Tank was quality all the way through. Ring IQ & boxing ability was a big difference. #DavisGarcia
Spewed it! Yes they really hurt but you’ve gotta rise! Do it once and you’ll do it again!
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 23, 2023
The attributes Garcia has are amazing! He’s the quickest and one of the biggest fighters in the division yet he lets people get to him! If he uses them gifts he has properly then I swear he’d be almost impossible to beat! Amir had similar attributes! Stay away an box!
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 23, 2023
Tank Davis is the biggest puncher the lighter weight divisions have seen since Naseem Hamelin imho! Tank was given good advice in the corner and that played a big factor! The fights that can be made for Tank are mouthwatering! Shakur, Loma, Haney etc etc! #TankGarcia #DAZN
— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 23, 2023
Garcia is young he will come again,but tank to good,like I said he is constantly feinting,judging distance and setting traps to find the openings he wasted nothing has a really good ring IQ
— Enzo Maccarinelli (@theRealEnzoMac) April 23, 2023
Ryan got stopped to the body just like his promoter
— Raymond Ford (@raysavage856) April 23, 2023
I get it. Out of all my 45 fights, the liver shot has been the worst pain I've felt, that I been hit with
— Mike Alvarado (@MileHighMike303) April 23, 2023
Felicidades a @RyanGarcia por retarse y buscar una gran pelea, admiración a @Gervontaa por ser muy dominante. Bendiciones #sabadodebox
— Roman Gonzalez (@chocolatitobox) April 23, 2023
Congrats @Gervontaa so proud and you dominated. Blessings
— Franchón Crews-Dezurn (@TheHHDiva) April 23, 2023
Underrated and sneaky body puncher is @Gervontaa #davisgarcia #soultaker
— Chris Algieri (@ChrisAlgieri) April 23, 2023
Body shot
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) April 23, 2023
Ryan stud up as soon as the ref said 10. He gave up to me but great fight!⭐️
— Keyshawn Davis (@KeyshawnDavis8) April 23, 2023
Huge congrats to Tank. Thanks to both these gentleman for doing it at the time the fans wanted it. #DavisGarcia
— Sulem Urbina (@SulemUrbina) April 23, 2023
That was the worst effort I ever seen by a under dog in my life Ryan is trash & don’t deserve another big fight in his career
— (@AlbertBell419) April 23, 2023
Congratulations @Gervontaa you the man
— Badou Jack (@BadouJack) April 23, 2023
He fucking quit
— Ishé Oluwa Kamau Ali Smith (@IsheSugarShay) April 23, 2023
Man it didn’t even look solid but I think about Gatti, about Corrales, about Holyfield. This man quit, think of Wilder Vs Fury, man this man quit.
— Ishé Oluwa Kamau Ali Smith (@IsheSugarShay) April 23, 2023
Corrales could of easily quit against Castillo, Im not saying it wasn’t a good shot. But fighters get hit like that all the time and continue. Fighters get dropped and get back up, head and body shots. He quit, fighters are warriors. That wasn’t warrior like. I stand by that
— Ishé Oluwa Kamau Ali Smith (@IsheSugarShay) April 23, 2023
Tank a dangerous man
— Ramla Ali (@ramlaali) April 23, 2023
Kinda expected this now let’s see Tank fight the real dogs like Haney Loma or Shakur
— Carlos Molina (@CarlosMolina562) April 23, 2023
Ryan could of got up.
— KING CALLUM WALSH (@KINGCALLUMWALSH) April 23, 2023
That was a special ending
— Umar Sadiq (@TopBoxerSadiq) April 23, 2023
@Gervontaa the best to ever do it
— DBest@It (@DemondNicholson) April 23, 2023
Great performance @Gervontaa ‼️
— Eddie Chambers (@champfasteddie) April 23, 2023
Freakish power ⚔️#TankDavis
— (@TroyWilliamson_) April 23, 2023
Tank that dude
— Brandun Lee (@Brandun_Lee) April 23, 2023
Tank did it again
— Tony Harrison (@Iamboxing) April 23, 2023
Helluva fight. #DavisGarcia pic.twitter.com/nGtHejpO5s
— Emiliano Vargas (@emilianofvargas) April 23, 2023
Loading comments...