Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis has confirmed that he’ll face Ryan Garcia in 2021 after the two lightweights win their next fights.
WBA lightweight champion Tank Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) and the WBC 135-lb champ King Ryan (20-0, 17 KOs) trade words on social media on Monday, which led to Gervonta revealing that he’ll be facing him in 2021.
Before Davis and Ryan can meet up next year, they’ve both got to take care of business with their next contest. Davis, 25, moves down to 130 later this month to challenge WBA Super World super featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) for his title on October 31 on SHOWTIME pay-per-view.
The Davis vs. Santa Cruz match will be taking place in front of a live crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Tickets are already on sale for the match.
As for King Ryan, 22, he’s supposed to be facing #2 WBC Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 KO) in December at a still to be determined date and venue, possibly in Southern California in the United States.
Garcia and Campbell’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom Boxing have been glacially slow in announcing a date for the fight. Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says the clash will definitely be taking place in December.
With the Garcia-Campbell fight likely to occur behind closed doors, there’s less of a need to have the match announced already. But still, it would be nice for Matchroom to get the fight done already so that boxing fans can look forward to it taking place this year.
Right now, there’s doubt among a lot of people whether Ryan and Luke will be fighting this year due to the pandemic.
Ryan Garcia: “Can I go?”
Gervonta Davis: “Of course, you can come I will have both of my daughters there Gervanni and GerRyani”
Ryan Garcia: “Good one, Gervonta, but ima still whoop your ass when that day comes.”
Tank Davis: “You know that day coming. That’s why you don’t have a fight date because they are waiting for me. Finish clowning wit the fake boxers Paul brothers, Golden Girl.”
Ryan Garcia: “Gervonta Davis, can you agree we fight in 2021, please?”
Tank Davis: “You know that your team knows that, and me and my team know that. Stop faking for the net, bro!”
Ryan Garcia: “THERE IT IS! GARCIA VS. DAVIS IN 2021! 🥊 You finally decided to confirm it to the public no running away now.”
It’s a risky fight for Garcia, as he’s not as experienced or as accomplished as the two-division world champion Davis. But if Ryan beats Campbell, which could prove tough, he’ll have that going for him as he moves forward to take on Tank Davis.
A loss for Ryan against Campbell will foil the plans for a fight against Gervonta next year. The young Golden Boy Promotions fighter Garcia will need to rebuild and come back from the defeat.
It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for Garcia to face Campbell a second time if he loses to him in December because he might destroy his career if he loses twice in a row to the 2012 Olympic gold medalist.
Campbell, 33, and Hearn are confident that they will be dealing with King Ryan his first defeat in December. Hearn is surprised that Golden Boy lets Ryan take the fight because he doesn’t see it as one that he can win.
The World Boxing Council ordered the Campbell vs. Garcia fight recently, saying that the contest winner will then face WBC lightweight champion, Devin Haney. Garcia could have said ‘no’ to the WBC about fighting Campbell, but he would have looked bad in the many boxing fans’ eyes.
At least in taking the fight, Campbell. Garcia will show the fans whether he’s got the talent to back up his tough talk.
The seven-year professional Campbell has twice fought for world titles, losing to Jorge Linares by a 12 round split decision in 2017 and Vasily Lomachenko by a 12 round decision in 2019.