Ryan Garcia looks back to his best after stopping Javier Fortuna in the sixth round on Saturday night in a fight which was shown live on DAZN, and in the post-fight interviews, one of boxing’s youngest stars has his sights set on one man, Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Even before Garcia took a break from the sport last year, he was calling out Davis following his win over Luke Campbell and while it was a fight which got boxing fans salivating, there were a number of obstacles which would stop it from happening involving promotional ties and broadcasters.
Now, the fight seems closer than ever after Davis became a free agent following his final fight under the Mayweather Promotions banner which was a win over Rolando Romero.
Make no mistake, if Garcia and Davis were to meet inside the ring, it would be a monumental event. The whole fight week would be one fans would be glued to. Both men are not afraid to speak their minds and after all the challenges and jibes on social media, the press conference alone would be worth watching.
The fight itself also has the chance to justify an entertaining build-up. Garcia and Davis are fighters who love to put on a show inside the ring. Both men are known for their speed and devastating power, therefore it would be unlikely to think that Garcia vs. Davis would go the full distance. Someone would be stopped or knocked out cold on the ring canvas.
Along with personal pride, this fight is a chance for either man to cement themselves as the face of American boxing. Boxing in the U.S. right now is booming with Errol Spence Jr., Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney just some of the talented Americans with world title belts, but one is yet to make the world stand still whenever they are in action.
Garcia vs. Davis would certainly be a fight which the world would take notice. Two men with bombs in their hands, outspoken personalities and under the age of 30, the winner would easily make themselves one of, if not, the biggest star in world boxing.
American boxing fans are also craving a mega-fight between two of their own. Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are apparently close to an undisputed welterweight title fight, but that will be believed once an announcement is made. Garcia vs. Davis meanwhile could suit that billing.
It’s clear that both men want it, Garcia said the following when asked by DAZN’s Chris Mannix about facing “Tank” in the near future.
"That (fight) is going to give me the respect I deserve.
"I'm never afraid. I'm trying to tell you that I have the spirit of competition in me and you're going to see that when I fight 'Tank' and whoop his a—."
Davis was quick to respond to Garcia’s claim with one simple tweet.
The strong desire shown by Garcia and Davis to face each other should be able to make negotiations a little bit easier between the two camps.
In addition to this being one of the ‘big’ fights American boxing needs, it would also benefit the sport as whole.
After Garcia beat Campbell, fans began to refer to Garcia, Davis, former unified world lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez and now undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney as ‘The Four Kings’ of the lightweight division. But unlike ‘The Four Kings’ of the 1980s, any of these four are yet to fight each other.
However, if Garcia and Davis do go head-to-head at some point this year, it could be the spark the lightweight and super lightweight division needs in order for the big names to face each other and create some memorable fight nights.
But when it comes to making the ‘big’ fights, boxing fans know it’s easier said than done.
The politics within the sport often can stop huge fights from happening, but for this particular contest, there shouldn’t be too many obstacles. DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions have expressed their desire to do a joint deal with Showtime, if necessary, in order to make Garcia vs. Davis happen. If the two broadcasters can indeed strike a deal, it will be a decision rejoiced by fans across the globe.
A fight between Garcia and Davis as mentioned before will capture the imagination, and whoever wins will see their stock rise exponentially, but if it is to be made it needs to be made for the second half of this year.
With both men eager to get it on, they need to strike while the iron’s hot before this become one of boxing’s ‘lost’ fights.