Boxing fans!!! We got us a good one!! On April 22nd, we have two undefeated fighters in their primes going head to head to see who the better boxer is. Ryan Garcia is 23-0 with 19 knockouts. That is a very impressive knockout rate but will be the second best knockout rate in this fight. Gervonta "Tank" Davis is 28-0 with 26 knockouts.
Ryan Garcia
Photo courtesy of DAZN
This is by far the biggest fight of Ryan Garcia's career. It's his first time on Pay Per View, his first time fighting an undefeated fighter, and his first time fighting as the underdog. How can Garcia pull off the upset?
Be the Big Dog
Garcia is the naturally bigger fighter of the two, standing at 5'10" with a 70" reach compared to Davis who is 5'5" with a 67" reach. Garcia tends to stand up tall in the ring. There is no need to change that. He needs to make Tank reach on any punches to the head, which will leave Davis open for those super quick counter punches from Garcia. King Ry as they call him also needs to be physical with Davis. When Gervonta Davis gets on the inside, Garcia should push him away and try to keep the fight at distance as much as possible. Then when Tank is at outside range, Garcia has to be aggressive and let his hands go.
Be smart when going to the body
Ryan Garcia is able to hurt his opponents by going to the head or the body.
This is from Ryan Garcia's last fight against Javier Fortuna. In this clip you see Garcia get a knockdown with a left hook to the body. Fortuna was already weary of Garcia's power and went to protect his head as Garcia came forward. Which opened up the body shot and Garcia took full advantage. This is an excellent punch against most opponents but may lead to trouble against Gervonta Davis.
Davis is really good at setting traps and may try to entice Garcia into coming forward for that body shot so that he can get easy counter punch to the head.
This is from Gervonta Davis' fight against Rolando Romero. Davis took advantage of Romero's aggressiveness by getting Romero to overextend himself and that left him wide open for the knockout shot.
Garcia should go to the body but has to stay at distance while doing it. If he goes in for that kill shot to the body, he may find himself looking up at the lights.
Don't Repeat Yourself
Gervonta Davis is known for his power but is also very good at downloading information. If you give him the same look or throw the same combinations. He will recognize the pattern and make you pay for it.
This is from Gervonta Davis' fight against Leo Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz throws three straight, straight right hands at the same speed and aimed at the same spot. Davis was able to pick up on the timing of his punches, slip and counter with a beautiful uppercut. Garcia cannot be predictable at any point of the fight. He not only has to change up his punches but the pace of his punches to keep Davis guessing.
Gervonta Davis
Photo via The Independent
Gervonta Davis has been in the spotlight for quite a while as a boxer. He has proven himself to be box office. He sells tickets and Pay Per Views. He appeals not only to the die-hard boxing fans but also to the casuals who want to be part of the event or want to see someone get knocked out. So how does Gervonta Davis stay undefeated?
Keep That Right Hand Up and Tight
Gervonta Davis is a defensively sound boxer but just like he has one punch knockout power, so does his opponent and Garcia's best punch is his left hook.
In this video Garcia's opponent try to land a one-two combo from too far away and leaves himself open for the left hook and gets knocked out cold. Davis is unlikely to throw punches from outside of his range because of his very high boxing IQ but something that all boxers fall susceptible to is putting their hands down. If Tank lets that right hand go down for any period of time while in Garcia's range. He may find himself on the bad end of an upset.
Don't forget about the Straight Right
Ryan Garcia's best punch is the left hook but he has power in both hands. Gervonta Davis is a southpaw and southpaws can have a hard time avoiding the straight right hand at times. Davis has be aware of all of Garcia's punches and not just lock in on staying away from the left hook.
Make Garcia Uncomfortable
Ryan Garcia is not known for his work on the inside. Tank should get close to Garcia and stay on the inside to see how he responds. While on the inside Tank should dig to the body and see if he is able to make Garcia drop his hands and then BOOM! It could be lights out for Garcia.
Prediction
This will be a very tactical battle for the first half of the fight as both fighters respect the other's power. We will see Tank turn up his punch output as the fight goes deeper and deeper. He will also work his way on the inside and go the body often. Gervonta "Tank" Davis will win this fight via knockout with a right hook to the body.