When Ryan Garcia took a knee after a punch to the liver in the seventh round of his super fight against Gervonta "Tank" Davis, it sent ripple effects throughout the boxing world as several active/retired pro fighters such as Antonio Tarver, Manny Pacquiao, Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz, chimed in to share their thoughts on the peculiar "knockout" in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite the unfavorable outcome, Ryan Garcia has had his fair share of supporters from legends like the great Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya. In the days following his defeat, the Southern California native expressed concern about the "10 lb Re-Hydration Clause" and the "mole" in his camp, who reportedly fed his opponent with pre-fight knowledge about his in-ring strategy. The contractual dynamics involved, such as the imposed 135 Ib catchweight, may have influenced Garcia's effectiveness and stamina during the bout. Still, the way in which he accepted defeat appears to have cost him the support of the most revered Mexican fighter ever and undoubtedly one of the greatest professional boxers of the last 50 years, Julio César Chávez.
By the time Chávez was Ryan Garcia's age (24), he was a WBC super featherweight champion with a professional boxing record of 54-0. The Boxing Hall of Famer would also go on to claim the WBC lightweight championship and the IBF light welterweight belt en route to improving his win-loss record to 87-0 before he finally incurred a blemish after he turned 30 years old. He was a relentless star who finished his career with 115 professional fights and a #24 ranking on ESPN's "All-Time Greatest Boxers" list. So, the sight of Garcia, an undefeated fighter (up until Saturday night) in his prime, taking a knee in the middle of a highly consequential super fight left Chávez feeling disappointed as he vowed never to watch him grace the ring again. When Chávez was asked to comment on the knockout punch from Tank Davis, he seemingly questioned the toughness of the runner-up before cutting ties as a fan.
"It wasn't even a punch, where he hit him, what time he hit him," Chávez said. "I'm not going to watch him anymore. I don't want to watch any more Ryan Garcia fights; count me out."
Ryan Garcia still has his whole career ahead of him, and he only has one loss on his record (23-1). He showed his toughness in a 2021 bout with Luke Campbell, where he bounced back and won the fight after being knocked down in round two. The 24-year-old will not eclipse the 87-0 start of Julio César Chávez's career or Floyd Mayweather's undefeated record (50-0), but there are several Boxing Hall of Famers whose comeback stories after a loss were followed by Championship reigns, such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Evander Holyfield, Roberto Durán and Ryan Garcia's favorite boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. According to reports, Garcia's camp is currently mulling over prospects for his next fight. Some of the names being mentioned are Jose "Jaguar" Ramirez and Subriel Matías.
Source: Marca
