Ryan Garcia Now Wants to Fight Gervonta Davis at 140
At the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, world-ranked lightweight Ryan Garcia scored a sixth-round knockout over former WBA junior lightweight champion Javier Fortuna. Coming into this fight, many pundits felt that Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) needed a statement win. He delivered as he knocked down Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs) three times in a dominant performance.
For years, Garcia has called for a fight with the current WBA Regular 135-pound champ, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (27-0, 25 KOs). During the post-fight interview, he reiterated his desire to fight Davis. However, there’s a small caveat.
EYES FULLY ON “TANK”
“I’m going to never go back down to 135. I’m going to fight “Tank” Davis if he wants it at 140. If he doesn’t, I’ll fight some 140-pounder. But, he’s going to want to do it […] I know that I’m committed to it, and I told everybody that’s where my heart’s positioned. I’m not going to waver for nobody.
I went to his fight to tell him, ‘let’s get it’. He told me himself, I’m next. So, let’s get our people together, let’s make the fight happen. I have no ego; I just want to get it on to show the people that I’m way better than you, and I’m gonna whip your ass and make it look easy.”
Garcia’s win over Fortuna came at 140 pounds, and you can see his body is starting to fill out and mature. So, his declaration that he’s now a junior welterweight is not a great surprise. “King Ry” added he wants to fight again this year, hopefully in December.
WILL IT FINALLY HAPPEN?
Davis was evidently watching the fight and heard what Garcia had to say about him. The power-puncher from Baltimore, Maryland took to social media, leaving a simple message.
After all the back-and-forth between the two, is this a signal that something is brewing? The lightweight champ is coming off a sixth-round TKO over Rolando “Rolly” Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) in May 2022. Garcia was in attendance, telling anyone within shouting distance that Davis is the fight he wants more than anything.
There could be possible issues for that potential fight at the negotiation table. Davis is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, while Garcia is with Golden Boy. However, this would be a pay-per-view-worthy fight that would pull big numbers across the board. With the potential to make mega-dollars, animosity tends to go out the window.
There has been a clamoring for Garcia to fight an elite fighter. A mainstream attraction and one of the biggest draws in the sport, Davis certainly fits the bill. Fans and pundits want it. With Garcia’s claiming that “Tank” told him he’s next, now is the time for it to happen, even if it means it takes place at 140
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
