Even though Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Ryan Garcia
entered Saturday's matchup with a similar number of fights – 28 for Tank and 23
for Garcia – it became obvious that there was a master-student dynamic in the
ring. In the two most pivotal moments of the fight, Tank's knockdown in the
second round and his KO in the seventh, Tank, like a wise old sage, exploited
Garcia's reckless aggression in short order, sending the pupil to the canvas
twice.
Both instances followed periods of success for Garcia. And
as Ryan landed more shots, he pressed what he perceived as an advantage, but
ultimately, the master punished his student for overconfidence.
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| Davis landing a straight left Photo courtesy of Esther Lin |
In the second round Garcia landed a series of cuffing right hands in close range. He continued to go on attack and overshot a wild left hook. The shot left him wildly out of position. Tank adeptly pivoted and countered with a blistering short left to the head that dropped Garcia.
That knockdown spooked Garcia. He was chastened. He was unwilling to take chances or let his hands
go in a meaningful way during the third, fourth and fifth.
But by the sixth round, Garcia had regathered himself and felt
comfortable going on the offensive again. He landed several hard right hands
to the head. As the seventh started, Garcia continued his aggressive
forays, attacking Tank with power shots. And as he lunged forward with a
combination, Tank snuck in a perfectly placed left to the body as Garcia's arms
were extended and his body unprotected. Garcia actually landed his right hand
as the final punch of the exchange, but the pain from Tank's left started to
circulate throughout his body. He took a step back. He dropped to a knee. He
couldn't beat Thomas Taylor's ten-count.
Tank-Garcia will not be remembered for its round-by-round entertainment value. Although the fight was intriguing on strategic and technical levels, the punch volume from both was
meager. There were prolonged periods of inaction, where both fighters were unwilling to throw punches. But the fight did provide a vital, conclusive ending. It also crystalized important points about two of the most
significant American boxing attractions.
First, Tank confirmed his status as a master
counterpuncher. He exploited split-second opportunities that demonstrated
superior technical skills, self-confidence and clear mental processing. Many
fighters would have immediately retreated into a defensive shell when Garcia
unfurled his menacing left hook, but Tank stood his ground, slipped the punch,
and executed his counter left with ruthless proficiency.
Similarly, when Garcia charged forward in the seventh after
having sustained success in the previous round, many fighters would have gone into
self-protection mode to take the steam off Ryan's combination. But Tank
instinctively recognized an opportunity; he fired the perfect short counter in a tight window. The punch was so precise and sneaky that a replay was needed to grasp its perfection. These were masterful boxing
moves.
As for Garcia, he admitted after the fight that he had
tried to force the action too much. Even though his trainer Joe Goossen had
wanted Ryan to fight more responsibly, Ryan ignored that advice and went after
Tank, to his own detriment. Garcia lacked the emotional maturity to understand
the risks involved in the fight. He was too overeager to impress, to put his
signature stamp on the fight, to be the alpha dog.
In theory Saturday's result could be a great learning opportunity for
Garcia. He should now realize that his technical flaws can jeopardize his
career. He paid massively for overcommitting, for falling out of position and for
running into traps.
However, until he understands that he must be more
adaptable in his fighting style, it's very likely that we will see similar
outcomes against top opponents. He has to be able to win fights in different
ways. Who's to say what would have
happened if Garcia decided to box Davis at range all fight? Yes, the bout might
have been boring and maybe Tank would have eventually gotten to him, but Ryan
wouldn't have been hitting the canvas in the second round and rendered
ineffective until the sixth. Goossen thought that Ryan needed to be more contained to have success, but Ryan had other ideas.
Garcia has to learn that momentary mistakes can have massive consequences. And not all of these mistakes are technical in nature. Some of them involve his decision-making process: when to engage and when to bide time.
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| Photo courtesy of Ryan Hafey |
Meanwhile, Tank's knockout show marches on. With an almost inconceivable 27 knockouts in 29 fights, Davis is one of the true killers in the sport. I do look at his punch stat numbers with some concern though. As he faces better competition, it's likely that more of his fights will go the distance. And in 12-round fights, Tank's punch volume can be problematic for winning rounds. Judges just aren't going to give a guy a lot of credit when he throws under ten punches a round. Ten punches a round is a punch every 18 seconds. That's a long time!
Tank's lack of activity explains why none of the judges awarded him a 10-8 round in the second even though
he scored a knockdown. He only threw six punches the entire round. That's one
punch every 30 seconds! He just wasn’t doing enough.
At boxing's highest level, it's fine margins that
can make the difference. Garcia found out the hard way what happens when he
lunges in with shots and ignores the advice of a seasoned trainer. And perhaps
Davis will realize one day that every point matters. Imagine if a fight goes to
the scorecards and he loses or draws because he didn't get a 10-8 round where
he scores a knockdown. Winning rounds matters and Tank must find a way to be
busier, to make it harder for judges to give rounds to his opponents.
But all of that is for another day.
In facing one of the toughest tests of his career, Tank
passed with flying colors and demonstrated that he belongs at the graduate
level; Garcia still needs to repeat his current grade. Ultimately, if a fighter
makes a mistake, Tank will punish him. That's his calling card. He exploits
weaknesses. He takes out lesser talents and exposes their flaws. Davis only
needs a couple moments, a brief, fleeting opportunity to cause maximum damage.
It's going to take a special talent to beat Tank: one who can stay within himself, fight intelligently, not get too caught up in the moment, offer punch volume while minimizing return risk. There aren't many of those boxers in the sport. And that's the central problem when facing Davis. A fighter will have to be close to perfect to beat him, and perfection is seldom seen in the ring.
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