A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Gervonta Davis

Davis couldn’t have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. Skills? Davis defused virtually everything Garcia tried to do, outboxing and outfoxing him from the second round on. Most notably “Tank” gave Garcia precious few openings to land his vaunted left hook, which gave the underdog next to no chance of winning the fight. Davis might be the best technician in the sport. Power? Well, with Davis, that’s a given. He was under attack in Round 2 when he connected on a short left that put Garcia down and set the tone for the rest of the fight. Then, in Round 7, a straight left to the gut forced Garcia to take a knee and he couldn’t continue. Davis didn’t punish Garcia, as his trainer suggested he would. However, he outclassed him, put him down twice and scored a highlight reel knockout while taking almost no punishment himself. It was a hell of a night for one of the sport’s fastest rising stars.

BIGGEST MISTAKE?
Overreacting to Davis’ victory

Davis’ performance was impressive but let’s not get carried away with the significance of his victory. Garcia is talented, powerful and popular but he’s no better – certainly no more accomplished – than some of Davis’ previous victims. We won’t know for sure how good Tank is until he takes down at least one of the top 135-pounders, undisputed champion Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson or Vasiliy Lomachenko. He’s deserving of pound-for-pound status now, with victories over the likes of Jose Pedraza, Leo Santa Cruz, Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia and now Ryan Garcia. However, that’s not enough to lift him into the Top 5 and ultimately No. 1, where many believe he’ll ultimately land. How would he do against Haney, Lomachenko or Stevenson, all of whom are much better boxers than Garcia? Probably well. Probably. A victory over one or more of the above would be required to remove any doubt about Davis’ apparent greatness.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR DAVIS
Shakur Stevenson

Davis vs. Stevenson is the ultimate lightweight fight. Haney is a big 135-pounder with big talent, which is why he’s the undisputed champion at the moment. Lomachenko will have a chance to prove he still has it at 35 when he challenges Haney on May 20. They’re both more serious threats to Davis than Garcia was. The fighter who could give Davis the most trouble is Stevenson, however. The 25-year-old from New Jersey might be the best pure boxer in the game, as he has demonstrated in victories over Jamel Herring, Oscar Valdez and other top 130-pounders before moving up to 135. He’s almost impossible to hit cleanly. He doesn’t have the power of Davis (or Garcia) but his skillset could be a puzzle that Davis would find difficult to solve. The same could be said of the Haney-Lomachenko winner but there’s something magic about Stevenson.

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT
Davis

The debate is interesting: Who’s the best fighter in the top heavy 135-pound division? The Haney-Lomachenko winner, Stevenson and Davis are the obvious candidates for the reasons stated above: Their skill sets are off the charts and roughly equal to one another. One thing sets Davis apart from the rest, however: His punching power. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson will outclass you; Davis will outclass you and then remove your head from your body. That weapon can’t be underestimated because it provides him a path to victory the others don’t have. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson could confound Davis with their technical ability for a while but if they can’t hurt him (and they probably can’t) it will be difficult to discourage him. And, of course, he can change the course of any fight with one punch. The jury is still out but the eye test tells us that Davis is the man to beat at 135 pounds.

BIGGEST LOSER
Ryan Garcia

Garcia was what Davis suggested he was, a limited boxer who relied too much on his left hook. And when he couldn’t land his signature shot, he was lost. The setback certainly isn’t catastrophic for him, though He dared to think big, agreeing to take on one of the sport’s most intimidating boogeymen. Things didn’t work out but he should be applauded for his gumption. And if anyone can bounce back, it’s him. He’s only 24, a year older than Canelo Alvarez was when he was outclassed by Floyd Mayweather. Alvarez did just fine afterward. Garcia is talented, just not as talented as Davis. And while he was overmatched in the end, he didn’t take the kind of beating that can take years off your career. He was outboxed and dropped twice but he was perfectly fine after the fact. He’ll now move back up to 140 pounds, where he’s more comfortable. And don’t be surprised if he claims a place among the best of that division.

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) looked scary against late-replacement opponent Yamaguchi Falcao (24-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Davis-Garcia show, scoring a brutal first-round knockout. Morrell doesn’t need a feel-out process. The opening bell is his signal to begin inflicting serious pain, which Falcao found out the hard way. He hurt the Brazilian with an uppercut and then went in for the kill, which came 2:22 into the fight. Falcao took the fight on 10 days’ notice but I doubt a full camp would’ve changed anything. Morrell is good, he’s vicious and he has heavy hands. I don’t know whether he can beat Alvarez or David Benavidez but the Cuban is looking more and more like a threat to anyone. … News item: heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury reportedly will defend against either Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang in July. He would be fighting fellow beltholder Oleksandr Usyk in an ideal world but either Ruiz or Zhang is a nice consolation prize. I would prefer Zhang. That matchup somehow is intriguing after Zhang stopped Joe Joyce on March 15. However, Ruiz also is a good option. He has proven ability and a good back story, most notably his monumental upset of another Briton, Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Usyk could end up defending against Daniel Dubois. Let’s hope Fury and Usyk get back to the negotiating table for a showdown late in the year, assuming they win their interim fights.

Ryan Garcia steps back between the ropes later this year following his Pay Per View KO defeat to Pound for Pound star Gervonta Davis last spring.

Garcia makes his highly anticipated return in a collision of knockout power against Parral, Mexico’s Oscar Duarte.

The event occurs on Saturday, December 2nd, and is scheduled for 12 rounds in the super lightweight division.

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya looks forward to showcasing Garcia before another mammoth PPV in 2024.

Ryan Garcia returns to boxing

“This is one of the reasons fight fans love Ryan. Instead of taking baby steps back after a hard-fought fight, he is returning against a guy with lethal power who doesn’t take a step backward,” said De La Hoya.

“Whoever emerges victorious is immediately in line for a shot against any current world champions. Fans aren’t going to want to miss this one.”

At only 25 years old, “King” Ryan Garcia has skyrocketed to the top of superstardom. He has proven that he is a supreme pay-per-view attraction.

His last fight against Gervonta “Tank” Davis in April 2023 garnered more than 1.2 million pay-per-view buys. The headliner generated a $22.8 million gate at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, making it the top five best gates in Nevada boxing history.

Knockouts

One of the most dynamic and exciting boxers fighting today, his fast-paced style, killer left hook, and lengthy roster of knockouts have impressed boxing fans for years.

He has held the WBC interim lightweight title, quickly dispatching top contenders such as Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell.

“King Ry” also holds a victory over Emmanuel Tagoe. Garcia scored a unanimous decision over his rival at the Alamodome in San Antonio last year.

The Golden Boy star wants to put on a show and dispatch his next opponent before moving to more significant tests.

“Let’s go! I am so excited to announce that I will be fighting Oscar Duarte on December 2,” said Garcia. “I’m back and feeling better and stronger than before.

“I wanted Duarte for me and the fans. He’s tough, and I’m ready to give people another show at my best weight again.

“Say whatever you want about Ryan Garcia, but I will always give the fans what they want. Love you. See you December 2 on DAZN. Location and ticketing will be announced soon.”

Garcia vs Duarte

His opponent, “La Migraña,” has become a boogeyman contender in the lightweight division. He holds hunter-killer instincts and defensive skills to match.

Unafraid to go in the pocket with any fighter, Duarte is a resilient bull who has been knocking fighters’ heads off one by one.

His sole loss was in 2019 against Adrian Estrella, which he has avenged with a string of eleven straight knockout victories, the last three including the rugged D’Angelo Keyes, the tough Alex Martin, and veteran Javier Franco.

The powerful Duarte became a professional in 2013. He also has incredible Mexican star power behind him, with award-winning actor, model, and television host Gabriel Soto co-managing his career along with Cancun Boxing.

“I feel thrilled and enthusiastic now that this fight against Ryan Garcia has been finalized. This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Duarte.

“I want to thank Golden Boy for giving me this great opportunity.

“I am very grateful for the support of my entire team. Everyone can expect the very best version of Oscar Duarte. I am ready to win this fight. I will lift the name of Mexico on high.”

More information on the venue, undercard, and tickets will be announced soon. California or Las Vegas could host Garcia’s next fight.

Golden Boy Promotions will stage the fight in association with Cancun Boxing. Garcia vs. Duarte will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN as part of your subscription.

It has been five months since Gervonta Davis faced Ryan Garcia in the ring. Following the victory against Garcia, on account of violating house arrest, Davis was sent to jail. In 2020, after Davis injured Jayir Smith in a hit-and-run case, he received 90 days of house arrest followed by three years of probation. However, by buying $3.4 million worth of property, ‘Tank’ violated the terms of his house arrest and served the remainder of his sentence in prison.

Although Davis has been released, he has yet not confirmed what he wants next in the sport. While boxing fans certainly want ‘Tank’ to face the best fighters in the division, the head of Manny Pacquiao‘s Promotions, Sean Gibbons hinted at a potential rematch between Isaac Cruz and Gervonta Davis. Here is what Gibbons said.

Sean Gibbons teases fans with a potential rematch between Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz

In a recent interaction with BoxingScene, Gibbons informed the press that a number of fans wished Gervonta Davis would fight Isaac Cruz again. According to Gibbons, since, Cruz is now part of the MP Promotions, there is immense interest in a rematch between ‘Tank’ and ‘Pitbull’. “When I travel around the US and Mexico and get stopped by boxing fans, the first question they always ask me is when Is Pitbull fighting Gervonta Davis again?” said Sean Gibbons.

“Manny Pacquiao has only signed one non-Filipino fighter ever to his MP Promotions stable and that’s Isaac ‘Pitbull Cruz, Jr. and backs him to win,” he added. Along these lines, Gibbons praised PBC and Al Haymon. And while on the same topic, he even hinted at a potential date for Cruz vs. Davis II.

Davis vs. Cruz rematch likely to take place after Christmas

As per Gibbons, Al Haymon’s PBC is the only company that is taking care of the needs of the hour. In his opinion, at the current pace, PBC is likely to offer Davis Cruz II as a post-Christmas gift. “PBC and Al Haymon are the only company in 2023 to give the boxing fans the fights the fans want,” said Gibbons.