At long last, we are finally here! After months and months of buildup, trash talk, and delay, Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia finally took to the ring. In the much-anticipated bout, we got to see two world-beaters go head to head and deliver a solid fight.
Whilst the T-MobileArena in Las Vegas, Nevada was packed ahead of the fight, there were many fans tuning in worldwide as well. As we’ve seen throughout the buildup of the fight, the two fighters showed how much they do not like each other. With the 136-pound, 12-round catchweight contest going back and forth, fans will be satisfied having witnessed both Davis and Garcia in their prime.
HERE. WE. GO.#DavisGarcia
Order: https://t.co/mIiYdmufbG pic.twitter.com/vqSu6s1vxI
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 23, 2023
The fight started off pretty even but the African-American seemed like the more comfortable of the two. Whilst Garcia came in with a lot of fire, his moments of impact were few and far in between. As such, the defining moment of the fight came in Round 7 where Davis delivered a paralyzing body shot, leaving Garcia unable to continue.
Gervonta Davis beats Ryan Garcia via KO
Initially, both fighters started off slow, trying to feel their opponent out. However, that soon changed as they stepped out for the second. Although Garcia was the one pushing the pace, Davis hit back with a counter left, knocking down Garcia for only the second time in his career. The third round was once again a slower one, with both fighters showing some lightning-fast punches and movement.
As time went on, Davis began growing into the fight more, landing more than the occasional lead left. On the other hand, “King Ry” struggled to find much success after the first. On occasion, Gervonta would opt to clinch and show off some of his wrestling skills. For the most part, Davis’ game plan looked to lure Garcia in and deliver devastating counters.
.@Gervontaa DROPS Ryan in Round 2 😱 #DavisGarcia pic.twitter.com/8Pj5Czovqs
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 23, 2023
.@Gervontaa‘s knockdown of Garcia got @FloydMayweather‘s attention 👏🏽#DavisGarcia pic.twitter.com/Zi9kuc8DfE
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 23, 2023
The face of boxing @Gervontaa stops Garcia in round 7 with a VICIOUS body shot 😱 #DavisGarcia pic.twitter.com/8MRrWvBOOQ
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 23, 2023
Having shown signs of life in the sixth, Garcia looked to continue the same pace in the seventh. However, it was not to be as Davis continued to counter everything that Ryan had to offer. Eventually, in a rather surprising manner, “Tank” delivered a ghost shot to the liver of Garcia. Although Garcia grimaced, it seemed as though he may be able to work through it at first. Unfortunately, it was not to be as “King Ry” had to take a knee, before revealing that he could continue no further.
Davis vs Garcia: Punching stats and judges’ scorecards
For the most part, the scores were pretty straightforward for this one. Whilst Garcia took Round 1, purely based on more activity, Gervonta Davis would go on to take the next four rounds consecutively. As for Round 6, the highlight was definitely the two rights that Garcia landed, and likely what won him the round.
Eventually, in the seventh, Garcia looked to push the pace but was caught by Davis’ ghost punch. Unable to continue any further, Garcia realized that the fight was certainly over. Although the realization was a little delayed, the 24-year-old knew that he had lost the fight, along with perhaps his entire fight purse.
Gervonta Davis KO7 Ryan Garcia scorecards at the time of the stoppage… pic.twitter.com/11tp5UBxDX
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 23, 2023
As for the scorecards, Tim Cheatham scored the fight 58-56, Dave Moretti scored the fight 59-56 and referee Steve Weisfeld scored it 59-55. Whilst some felt that Tim Cheatham’s scores were rather odd, it did not have too much influence in the grand scheme of things. As for the unofficial scores by Steve Farhood, the contest was 58-55, likely how most scored the contest as well.