Via Vince Dwriter: In many cases, lightweight star Ryan Garcia (23-0.19 KOs) has been accused of publicly announcing major fights and using the announcement as a way to stay relevant in the public eye. Garcia revealed that he was fighting a big-name boxer in the 135-pound division, and then took to the streets; he will fight with no one or a lower opponent.
After the January 2021 win over Luke Campbell, Garcia referred to Gervonta as “The Tank” Davis. A few weeks later, Garcia returned and announced that he would face Manny Pacquiao in an exhibition match. The exhibit became an official match, and after that the fight didn’t happen at all, as Pacquiao and Garcia had never faced each other in the ring.
Instead of fighting Manny Pacquiao, Garcia planned a clash between him and Javier Fortuna, but Garcia withdrew from the match to deal with his mental health issues. In October 2021, Ryan Garcia and JoJo Diaz were scheduled to face each other, but a week later, Garcia suffered a hand injury, and the fight was postponed.
Two months later, Garcia again called Gervonta Davis and accused Davis of fighting with a C-rank fighter. After his win over Isaac Cruz, Davis mentioned Garcia’s challenge in his post-fight press conference. “He is an Instagram warrior. We are not worried about him. He is a beautiful girl. He just likes to talk.”
Fast-forward to the present day, and once again, Ryan Garcia is openly challenging Gervonta Davis, but Davis, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez have branded Garcia as a talker and inaction. Garcia’s opponents have grasped his tactics, and they vow to ignore anything Garcia says or posts on social media.
Garcia seems adamant about finally fighting Gervonta Davis, but it looks like another member of the Golden Boy is working on a conversion campaign. Following the head-to-head battle between Vergil Ortiz and Michael McKinson, Oscar De La Hoya did an interview with FightHub TV to give an update on the negotiations between Davis and Garcia.
“Everybody was excited about that fight. It was the only fight Ryan wanted. Umm… that’s the only war the Tank wants. Look, we’re talking. We’re talking, so that’s a great start. To talk to the other side is a great start, so we want to fight,” De La Hoya said.
About twenty-four hours later, De La Hoya turned like an NFL quarterback calling an hour. After Ortiz took out McKinson, De La Hoya did an interview with ESNews and addressed the state of the negotiations. “Hey, we’re trying to take the side of the Tank. We don’t know who to talk to. No one picks up their phone; no one called back. I feel like they’re playing the game, so I’m moving on, and I’ll be fighting Teofimo next week. “
Boxing fans have seen the showdowns and bold predictions, but we’ve yet to see Ryan Garcia step into the ring to fight any of the elite fighters. Garcia has expressed a desire to fight again in 2022. With five months to go into the calendar year, it is hoped that Garcia and Golden Boy can offer a contract instead of giving guarantees and public challenge.
