Ryan Garcia Downplays Tank Davis’ Star Power – ‘He Can’t Sell PPVs’
Ryan Garcia has hit out at Gervonta Davis‘ star power by questioning if he is the big draw that he is often called in the sport of boxing.
The two fighters faced off on April 22nd, 2023, in a fight that captivated the attention of boxing fans galore. The bout sold over a reported 1.2 million pay-per-view buys, as it became the highest-grossing event of 2023. That was followed up with the news that the gate produced over $22 million as the fight made the highest gate of this year.
And in the process of doing so, it outdid the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford fight, as well as the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo fight. That resulted in Garcia picking up a reported $30 million from the fight. And a large part of that had been through the crossover appeal that Garcia had. The boxer is known for being a social media star, as well as having acted, which earned him over 10 million followers on Instagram. With that being said, Garcia downplayed Davis’ star power.
Garcia On Davis
“He’s going to have to come to me. Do you know why? Because he can’t sell pay-per-views. He can’t be a star if he’s doing 150,000 buys [before fighting me]. How can he be a star? I popped him up, remember that. I gave him some stardom. Now, he’s poppin’. You need two fighters to tango. So if he thinks he can come back and fight some random dude and do a PPV, he’s not. But we’ll see what he does,” Garcia said
The comments were made in reference to the talk of a potential rematch between the two. Garcia had been stopped in round seven with a body shot, which led to suggestions that the fighter had quit. This was due to the fact that King Ryan had gotten up after the referee had counted him out. In the aftermath of the fight, Garcia claimed that the 136-pound weight and the ten-pound rehydration clause had severely hindered him. And that ultimately impacted his performance, as he has been calling for a rematch at 140. And looking ahead, Garcia was confident that they would run things back.
“At the end of the day, they are all going to need me, and that’s just facts,” said Garcia. “I can make way bigger fights than [Davis] than he can make by himself. So he’s going to have to see me for the money because he likes money. He should be thanking me. I just blessed him with around $30 million. He should be like, ‘damn, alright you’re a good guy.’ But he’s always poking jabs and talking sh!t because he knows that wasn’t me [in the fight],” Garcia
Duarte On Garcia
But in order to do that, the boxer must first overcome Oscar Duarte on December 2nd, 2023. The Mexican has stopped his last 11 opponents, which is why Garcia will have to be on his guard. King Ryan will have his first fight under Derrick James at 140, which is why the pressure will be on Garcia to perform. The latter’s boxing fundamentals were criticised in the Davis fight, which is why James’ focus on boxing fundamentals will be key. And since Duarte is talking a big game, fans can expect a tough fight.
“I am dangerous because I also have great knockout power. I’ve always been very strong. I have endurance, and I am very brave. That’s why I am very dangerous. Well, no, I’m not looking for the knockout. I am just preparing myself for the best. A knockout comes on its own, and I’m working to give a good fight. So the fans win, and I obviously win. And I position myself where I should be,” Duarte stated
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