Leo Santa Cruz isn’t in favor of Ryan Garcia choosing not to take a tune-up fight in January to get him ready for his April 15th fight against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in Las Vegas.
Santa Cruz says the 23-year-old Ryan should take the warm-up fight because he needs experience and needs rounds to get him ready for Tank, who has fought a lot of excellent fighters during his career.
Leo thinks Ryan will be vulnerable against Tank because his punch resistance isn’t great, and he has a habit of pulling back with his head high in the air.
As of late Friday, Ryan (23-0, 19 KOs) alerted his followers on social media that he won’t be taking a tune-up against Mercito Gesta on January 28th, as previously planned.
Ryan says he wants to go straight into the fight with Tank Davis and knock him out in the second round. Interestingly, Tank (27-0, 25 KOs) is taking a tune-up on January 7th against Hector Luis Garcia in Washington, D.C.
The more accomplished Tank feels it’s important for him to take a warm-up fight against the well-respected Hector Garcia, but Ryan has chosen not to take a tune-up against journeyman Gesta.
“I want to try 130. I vacated my title at 126 because I thought I was going to be able to make weight but my body grew and got bigger. I had trouble making 126, so I vacated the [WBA] belt,” said Leo Santa Cruz to Fighthype about his decision to vacate his WBA featherweight title to move up to 130.
“I think he [Ryan Garcia] should get a fight in because he needs experience; he needs the rounds. He’s been out for a long time. To be in with a fighter like Gervonta Davis, he needs more rounds in and more experience. Only he knows.
“He has a pretty good chance because he’s quick, he’s strong, but Gervonta is a smart fighter. It looks easy enough when you’re down here. He looks easy, but once you’re up there, anything can happen.
“I think Gervonta is going to be too strong, and he’ll catch him because Ryan Garcia, he leaves himself wide open when he throws, he goes like that [leaning backwards], and Gervonta will come with a right hand and knock him out.
“He has a pretty good chance,” said Santa Cruz about Ryan. “I think Tank Davis can take a punch more. I think he has a chin. He’s sparred with big guys, so he’s used to it. Ryan Garcia has a little more softer chin, but like I said, you never know. It’s going to be a great fight,” said Santa Cruz.
“There are good fights [at 130]. So whoever has an offer, I’m ready. Rey Vargas, I think he’s going to fight at 130. If he wins, I’ll probably fight him, and there’s Oscar Valdez and [Emanuel] Navarrete. There are a lot of good fighters at 130 for me to fight.
“That would be really great. They’re [Valdez and Navarrete] are both Mexican. Mexicans always come to fight. I’ll go and give it a war.
“I would give a little more of the edge to Valdez,” said Santa Cruz when asked who would have won the now-canceled fight between Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete. “He has a little bit more experience in fights. So I think Valdez.
“I give him a good chance. Hector Garcia is a good fighter. He beat Colbert and Roger Gutierrez. So he could surprise, but I think Tank will be too strong for him, but anything can happen,” said Santa Cruz when asked who wins the fight next month between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Hector Luis Garcia on January 7th in Washington, D.C.
“Gervonta always does that. He’s not looking so good, and then suddenly, he hits you with a big shot and knocks you out. Don’t stand there,” said Santa Cruz when asked what advice that he would give to other fighters when facing Tank Davis.
“I stood there, I got caught, and I paid the price. I tried to please the fans. I went out there, and I fought for them. I didn’t want to go out there and run and move. I want to go out and give entertaining fights, even if I have to pay, but the fans were happy.
“He [Hector Garcia] has to box him a little bit more, move around and not stay there for too long because Tank is waiting for that one shot. He does have the power, so he’s dangerous.
“Maybe the eighth or under,” said Santa Cruz about when Tank Davis will stop Hector Garcia.