Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia is not the matchup to go with: Here's why boxing promoters should book 'Tank' vs. Shakur Stevenson instead
After Gervonta Davis' eighth-round knockout of Frank Martin, a ghost from the unbeaten power-puncher's past emerged in the form of Ryan Garcia. The polarizing boxing star briefly hijacked the post-fight proceedings of Davis' win, calling for a rematch in a moment that led to a brief embrace.
However compelling a rematch with Garcia may now be from a financial perspective, especially given the amount of attention he's generated through controversy as of late, a matchup with Shakur Stevenson makes more sense. It would be similarly lucrative, if not more.
While Garcia has dominated most conversations about the sport since his stunning majority decision win (now a no-contest) over Devin Haney, he is not the right opponent for 'Tank's' next bout. That honor should fall to Stevenson.
Ryan Garcia is too volatile for a Gervonta Davis rematch
There is no point in Gervonta Davis pursuing a matchup with an opponent who is so unpredictable that there's no certainty over where they will be come fight night. Ryan Garcia is such an opponent. While his star power has grown since his upset win (now a no-contest) over Devin Haney, he has also drawn concern.
Ahead of the bout, Garcia's antics on and off social media raised eyebrows, with many questioning his mental stability. The topic of substance abuse became rampant, given all of his bizarre claims and his ex-wife imploring boxing fans to pray for Garcia's well-being.
At the weigh-ins for his fight with Haney, Garcia missed weight by a little over three pounds, rendering him ineligible to win the WBC super lightweight title for which the bout was contested. He also downed an entire bottle of beer on the scale, raising even more concern about his mental state.
Check out Ryan Garcia missing weight ahead of bout against Devin Haney:
Many questioned whether he was taking the fight seriously, but he silenced it all with a commanding performance against Haney, knocking him down several times to win on the scorecards. Unfortunately, following the bout, Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, which he first disputed before citing tainted supplements as a reason.
Garcia also claimed that his social media antics before the bout were merely part of gamesmanship. However, not long afterward, his odd behavior continued, and he was arrested in Los Angeles for felony vandalism after damaging a hotel room and hallway at the Walford Astoria luxury hotel.
Now, one week later, he has announced his retirement, despite having called for a fight with 'Tank,' this past Saturday. Somebody who misses weight, tests positive for performance-enhancing drugs, drinks beer at the weigh-ins, gets arrested for vandalism, and retires just days after calling for a fight is not reliable.
Davis would be agreeing to a matchup that may not even happen, as Garcia would likely do something that would risk derailing the bout or canceling it altogether. Furthermore, he has been handed a one-year suspension for his positive PED test, with his win over Haney overturned.
To risk a loss to someone only for it to be overturned is not worth it, least of all when the memory of how the fight played out in the ring will remain in the minds of fans. Even though Davis has never had a problem waiting a year for his next fight, he should not do so for Garcia, who is too unreliable for such a privilege.
Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson is a marquee matchup in its own right
Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson do not like each other, and their mutual disdain will serve a matchup well in terms of generating hype and fan interest. Nothing draws fight fans in quite like a feud. Davis and Stevenson have history, and both have traded shots on social media.
Unbeaten boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. recently hailed 'Tank' as the most powerful puncher at lightweight, but distinguished Stevenson as the most skillful fighter in the division. He even took to social media to label Davis vs. Stevenson as a fight that should happen.
Fans have been calling for the fight for some time now as well. Both men are in the prime of their youth, boasting mutually impressive undefeated records. Davis is currently 30-0, with 28 knockouts on his résumé. Meanwhile, Stevenson is 21-0. Although he lacks the raw power that Davis wields, he is a technical wizard.
Additionally, a bout between the pair would help settle questions about lightweight supremacy. Davis is the reigning WBA lightweight champion, while Stevenson holds the WBC lightweight title, which he captured in a unanimous decision win over Edwin De Los Santos.
While he is now scheduled to defend the belt against Artem Harutyunyan, he will almost certainly be eyeing a bout with 'Tank.' The amount of interest the fight has drawn, along with the intrigue of a fresh matchup between two unbeaten fighters with mutual dislike, history, and the backing of Mayweather is without comparison.
It must come next, and Stevenson could make the dream fight come true if he beats De Los Santos as many expect. Boxing is often criticized for how often its top fighters avoid facing each other. This was a massive criticism of Tyson Fury, who finally faced Oleksandr Usyk last month on May 18, losing via split decision.
However, the magnitude of a Davis vs. Stevenson clash cannot be understated, nor what a win would do for either man's legacy.