Trainer Derrick James says Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is the more proven fighter, and he’ll beat Ryan Garcia when the two face each other shortly.
James, who trains IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr, feels that the two-division world champion Tank Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) has been around longer and has had more time to develop than the 22-year-old King Ryan (21-0, 18 KOs).
After telling fans for months that he wished to fight Tank, Ryan has temporarily put him to the side to negotiate a mega-fight against Manny Pacquiao. That fight is still in the discussion stage, but Ryan says he believes it’ll be finalized soon.
Tank, 26, may need to settle for a fight against Ryan with him coming off of a loss to Pacquiao. It’ll still be an appealing fight for Tank, but obviously not the match-up that it would be now if the two fought.
Tank more proven than Ryan Garcia
“I think there are a lot of young guys, and I think the excitement is there but once they start facing the good top quality competition and facing each other, that’s when it’ll get really excited,” said Derrick James to Fighthub about the 135-lb division.
“Tank Davis is the one that is more proven, even though Teofimo just beat Lomachenko and won. He had a phenomenal strategy, but I think once he builds up and fights all these guys, it’ll be a great fight.
“I think it’s more interesting that four people have the same belt. How did four people have the WBC lightweight title? Think about that.
“He’s faced Lomachenko, who was the guy,” said James. “He and Tank faced the same guy in Pedraza. Tank knocked Pedraza out, and Lomachenko beat him by decision.
“He’s been pro longer than they have. That’s a thing too. I think once things start mixing it, it’s going to be really interesting.
“I think that’s where you’re going to get appealing fights, and the results will be intriguing as well. You’ll eliminate that belt to four guys. It’ll eventually be one guy.
“Teofimo took the Franchise belt from Lomachenko. Once these guys mix things up, you’re going to see some very interesting boxing.
“I think Devin Haney may fight Teofimo after this. That’s a good fight. Once they start fighting, let me tell you, it’s going to be like who’s the man.
“They’re going to find out who the man really is, and it’s going to be interesting,” said James.
Just going by Tank and Ryan Garcia’s records, there’s no question which of them has the better track record in terms of quality opposition.
Ryan’s best opponents:
- Luke Campbell
- Carlos Morales
- Francisco Fonseca
- Romero Duno
- Jayson Velez
Of those fighters, Campbell is the only one that has the world-class level ability at this point. Velez used to be a good contender, but he was shopworn and not the same guy he’d once was by the time Ryan fought him.
Gervonta’s best opposition:
- Leo Santa Cruz
- Jose Pedraza
- Yuriorkis Gamboa
- Ricardo Nunez
- Hugo Ruiz
- Jesus Cuellar
- Liam Walsh
Just Santa Cruz’s name alone shows that Gervonta has faced thus far better resume than the no-names that Ryan has faced since turning professional.
Ryan will eventually get a lot of experience from fights against Pacquiao, Devin Haney, Tank, and Teofimo Lopez, but right now, he’s not in the same league as Tank.
The question that many boxing fans have about Ryan is whether he seriously believes he’s capable of beating the top lightweights like Tank or if he’s just looking to make a lot of money in a short period of time. We can’t know the answer to that question this early.
James says Tank beats, Ryan Garcia
“I think Tank is going to beat him, and it’s going to be an exciting fight,” said James about Tank vs. Ryan Garcia.
“I think he’s [Gervonta] a more proven fighter, and his skills and technique is totally different.
“Tank is a pay-per-view draw, and there’s going to be a lot of pay-per-view buys. He’s done things that these other guys [can’t do].
“Lomachenko can’t sell, he’s not on pay-per-view. Tank Davis sold out that stadium in Atlanta. Lomaachenko isn’t a PPV fighter. He [Gervonta] sells out arenas, so he would be the bigger PPV draw [than Ryan Garcia].
“It would be a phenomenal fight. Ryan Garcia is going to come in there and do his thing. This is something that has been building.
“They’ve been talking, and they probably sparred a couple of times before. So they have a lot of animosity. I think they fought in the amateurs at the same time too.
“Devin Haney, Ryan, and Teofimo, they’re all around the same age. The only difference is, Tank turned pro before they did, so he has a bigger draw. I wonder where they’ll fight, that’s my question,” said James.
Virtually everyone agrees that Ryan Garcia would fold like a cheap suit if he fought Tank Davis right now. The way that Ryan went down so easily in the second round in his last fight against Luke Campbell was troubling to see as the British fighter isn’t a puncher.
Ryan, 5’10”, resembled a spindly-legged Flamingo with the way he was stood straight up, taking shots from Campbell in that fight. If Campbell has the sense to go after Ryan after putting him on the deck in round two, we wouldn’t be talking about a future fight between him and Tank Davis.
Tank might give not only Ryan problems but also Devin Haney, Vasily Lomachenko, and Teofimo Lopez. Davis has got that power, speed, and southpaw stance that makes him a threat to all of those fighters.
Although Teofimo is coming off a big win over Lomachenko last October, he might be the weakest link among the top lightweights.
The way that Teofimo gassed out and looked stressed when he was being pressured by Lomachenko in the championship rounds, it’s not hard to predict him falling apart against Ryan, Haney, and Tank if he was being pressed in the same way.