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Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis Signed?
Ryan Garcia and Gervonta ‘Tank' Davis seem to be headed towards a fight which has the potential of being the biggest in boxing.
Move over Errol Spence Jr. & Terrence Crawford as the real biggest fight in boxing looks to be headed towards an arena near you. Earlier tonight, lightweight contender Ryan Garcia (23-0) sent the social media world into a frenzy when he posted the following:
Almost simultaneously, WBA regular lightweight champion Gervonta' Tank' Davis(27-0) tweeted the same from his verified account.
This was when people started to believe that the fight was real. Typically, the marquee names in the sport would announce a big fight within their platforms before a formal press release is distributed to the media. A fight this big would merit this type of rollout, given the massive fan bases both fighters have.
Did I tell you so?
Earlier this year, I was pressing the issue that the fight between Garcia and Davis would happen in 2022. The rumors were out there that it was almost done in 2020, but the limitations from the pandemic crushed any thought of that fight happening. Fast forward to the fight between Tank and Rolando Romero, where Davis shouted to Garcia, who was sitting ringside, “You next” before and after the fight. Recently, Tank and Ryan ran into each other at a club in L.A., where they spoke about the potential of them finally meeting in the ring.
That meeting seemed weirdly similar to the initial run-in that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had years ago at a Miami Heat game, leading to them discussing terms back in a hotel room. Tank and Garcia are part of the new breed, and running into each other at a club seemed appropriate. Both had different versions of the conversation, but the one consistent piece was that they were trying to make the fight.
Whether staged or coincidence, this was a huge moment for the sport.
This is by far the biggest commercial fight the sport can make at this time, and everyone knows it. The latest issues of the RING Magazine had it right by putting them both on the cover and having featured articles within the edition. This is a fight that athletes, actors, social media influencers, and artists have been discussing within their social media accounts for about a year. As recent as last week, one of hip-hop's biggest names Swizz Beatz posted this on his Instagram stories. Swizz Beatz is a multi-platinum and Grammy producer who partnered with Timbaland to bring “Verzuz” to the forefront.
Although Gervonta later tweeted, “I'm just fucking around.. I'm bored on this plane lol”, I think that was more so his team telling him to pull it down before an official announcement could be made. I think the timing is interesting as Wilder vs. Helenius takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on FOX PPV this weekend. Is Saturday night going to be where FOX PPV announces the fight between Tank and Garcia? That would make a ton of sense, considering Tank sold out the Barclays in his last fight and has a legit fan base in N.Y., where an announcement like that would go wild in the media capital of the world.
Where & When would Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis take place?
It's no secret that Tank Davis has a court case coming up on December 12th, so I have to believe this fight takes place either the 3rd or 10th of December. Although staging the fight in L.A. or N.Y. would be appropriate, this one has to land in Las Vegas at one of the MGM properties. I have always said that the Allegiant Stadium in Vegas would be where they would fight, but given the football schedule, it'll probably end up at the T-Mobile Arena in front of a sellout crowd. If you followed my series “Around the Curve with Abe,” you would have seen this one coming a mile away. The question is, who are you picking? Ryan Garcia? Gervonta Davis? Regardless, get ready for the world to be tuned in when these two fighters get in the ring.
You can follow Abe on Twitter @abeg718 and subscribe to “The Boxing Rush Hour Show” podcast on all streaming platforms.
