On April 22, 2023, boxing fans experienced the biggest fight of the year as Gervonta “Tank” Davis fought against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas’s MGM Arena. Two superstars of the lightweight boxing division faced off in one of the most anticipated fights in recent times.

Davis is a boxer that comes from Baltimore, Maryland.  Tank was born on November 17, 1994, and debuted when he was 18 years of age on February 22, 2013. He is a versatile boxer that fights in the southpaw (left-handed) stance and he has insane power as well as a high boxing IQ. His record was 29-0 prior to the fight with a stunning 27 of them finishing in knockout.  He was under Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s wing for seven years but just last year, Davis decided to separate from his team after spending from 2015-2022 under Mayweather’s guidance.

On the other side, we had Ryan”The King” Garcia. Garcia was born on September 20, 1999, in Victorville, California. Prior to the fight, Garcia had a record of 23-0 with 19 of them coming from knockout. Garcia is a left-handed boxer who fights in the orthodox (right-handed) stance. Garcia relies on his power and insane speed to knock out his opponents. Garcia was also part of a big team when he was part of  Canelo Alvarez’s team from October 2018 through February 2022.

Prior to the fight, there was a lot of buzz from both camps and a lot of trash talk. The press conferences, which led up to a fight, were intense with more personal beef. There was controversy on Davis’s side due to a rehydration clause. The rehydration clause was meant for Garcia, which meant he had to meet the clause before the fight could go ahead and begin.

The fight began and a showdown between these two superstars finally commenced. Garcia began the first two rounds strong and looked to be coming at Davis with urgency.

It looked like things were going well for him until the second round when he got a punch to the face. The punch to the face by Davis sent Garcia to the canvas but he got up with not much difficulty. For the next three rounds, Garcia seemed to slow down and not look as aggressive, giving Davis more of a chance to strike on offense.

The 7th round then came along and it was the beginning of the end. Garcia applied pressure-throwing punches to Davis and this is where Davis countered with a liver shot to Garcia. With a delayed reaction, Ryan took a knee and the 10-second count began. Toward the end of the 10 seconds, Garcia attempted to get up but struggled, and the referee called the fight a win for Davis.

Prior to the fight, I interviewed BCCHS student Ronaldo Mendez (11). I first asked him who he thought was going to win the fight and he responded, “I have a strong feeling Tank is going to win because of his power, but I see Ryan with lots of confidence. However, in the end, I believe it will end in a knockout favoring Tank.”

I then asked what he thought would be key factors in the fight. Ronaldo then explained, ” If Ryan uses his size and speed, he might be able to catch Tank with a nice hit, but I think it’s highly unlikely. If Ryan doesn’t get a knockout early, the fight will go to Tank, which will most likely finish in a knockout and maybe a decision.”

This fight was the biggest of the year and although it ended in a loss for Garcia, he gained respect from many fans due to his mostly humble responses after the fight. For Davis, this is just the beginning and he has a bright future.