After months of tedious negotiations, boxers Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Ryan Garcia finally began promoting their highly-anticipated upcoming pay-per-view fight at a press conference in Manhattan, where neither boxer lived up to the hype. of the other.
Dressed in a pink faux fur coat and wraparound sunglasses, Davis (28-0) inexplicably arrived nearly two hours late for Wednesday’s event, drawing criticism from a disappointed Garcia.
“It will only serve as a negative to the overall success of this event,” Garcia (23-0), 24, said of Davis’ efforts to promote the April 22 middleweight bout. “Somehow it shows that he is not professional and continues a pattern of his character and the integrity of him as a person and as a professional. That’s how he is.’
Meanwhile, the 5-foot-5 1/2-inch Davis was relieved that Garcia wasn’t as tall as he feared.
“He’s not as tall as I thought he was,” Davis, 28, said of Garcia, who is 5-foot-8. That’s the only thing. I thought he was taller than that. That’s like “Whooh!” really.
After months of tedious negotiations, boxers Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (pink coat) and Ryan Garcia (black coat) finally began promoting their highly anticipated pay-per-view bout at a press conference in Manhattan.
The two undefeated boxing superstars surrounded each other for more than a year before finally reaching an agreement in February to fight on April 22 in Las Vegas.
It’s a short time to promote what many see as the biggest boxing match of 2023, but it appears to be the result of Davis’ ongoing legal troubles.
He is due back in a Baltimore court on May 5 after pleading guilty to hit-and-run charges stemming from a November 2020 collision that injured four people. By fighting before his sentencing, Davis ensures that the fight can continue regardless of the punishment a Maryland judge imposes on him.
“This is pretty quick,” Garcia said. “We’re six weeks away and this is our first press conference… I feel like it was rushed, maybe just a little bit of his personal issues.”
When asked to be more specific, Garcia hesitated before admitting that Davis’s legal troubles were to blame.
“I don’t want to sound angry, like, badmouthing him, but the truth is, yeah, that’s probably why,” Garcia said.
Davis apologized to reporters for his tardiness, admitting that it was “very unprofessional of me.”
When asked why he was running late, Davis said ‘damn’ before offering a brief explanation: ‘Just traffic. Not ready. That kind of things.’
While Davis was apologetic during a small media scrum with reporters, he was unapologetic during an onstage exchange with Garcia during the news conference.
Garcia was asked by Showtime announcer and press conference MC Brian Custer about his earlier prediction that he would beat Davis in two rounds.
“When I say things like second round, you asked me for a prediction and I gave you one,” Garcia said. ‘I’ll be ready by 12 [rounds].’
Davis did not hesitate to say that Garcia was “talking his ass.”
“Someone has to promote it,” Garcia responded before referring to Davis’ tardiness. ‘At least I got here on time.’
Confusingly, Davis appeared to ridicule Garcia’s punctuality.
“It’s great,” said the Baltimore native. You’re supposed to be like that.
Garcia asked for an explanation, which he never really got, before referring to himself as “a professional.”
As for the fight itself, neither fighter offered much insight into their respective strategies, though both did make predictions.
Garcia guaranteed that fans will get “a classic fight.”
Davis, on the other hand, predicted that Garcia is “taking a beating.”
Regarded as one of boxing’s best punchers, pound-for-pound, Davis has 26 career knockdowns and is coming off an easy TKO victory over Hector Garcia.
However, the lefty has continued to battle legal issues.
In December, a woman who identified herself as the mother of his son recanted domestic violence allegations against him after a 911 call.
Davis was arrested and faced misdemeanor charges of domestic violence before the woman dropped her allegation that he struck her with a “close slap” that left an abrasion on her lip.
TMZ posted a recording of the alleged victim’s 911 call: ‘He’s going to kill me!… I need help, please! I’m trying to go home. I have my baby in the car and she attacked me in front of the child. And now she’s ruining my tires!
Davis has denied the accusation.
In February 2020, Davis was charged with misdemeanor assault for an incident in which he was seen “hitting his ex-girlfriend,” according to Coral Gables, Florida police.
That case was dismissed on December 13, but viral video surfaced showing the 5-foot-7 lightweight grabbing a woman around her neck at a basketball game and dragging her off camera.
Davis acknowledged the video but denied hitting the woman.
Garcia, one of the most popular boxers on social media, has battled his own issues, once walking away from the sport to address mental health issues.
He is known more for his speed than his power, despite 19 knockouts in 23 career fights.
Garcia had been maligned for his lack of competition until January 2021, when he survived an early knockdown to defeat another southpaw, Luke Campbell.
Promoter Tom Brown mocked Wednesday’s tumble: “Unlike Luke Campbell, if Tank Davis puts you on your ass, you won’t get up.”