Ryan Garcia’s Got Next
By Eddie Sanchez
It’s 2021 and even though all is not perfectly well in the world, this year is looking promising for the boxing industry. Having Ryan Garcia’s big night coming on the second day of 2021 was the perfect representation for the future of boxing.
His star power extends beyond the ring and he has the perfect mix of social media prowess and in-ring potential. While the songs of his name are blasting at the moment, we must recognize that he is still in the potential phase.
This is not a slight – this should frighten his contemporaries. Afterall, he is not perfect. He ran into some trouble in the second round and you could see Oscar De la Hoya freightened in the background.
Luke Campbell was a formidable foe however and he proved to be the perfect test for the young Mexican fighter. The former Olympic Gold Medal winning Brit showed toughness and provided a stern test that Ryan Garcia ultimately passed.
It became evident in the final moments of the fifth round that this was his fight and it became a matter of when it would ultimately end. Just two rounds later the world seemingly shouted Holy Body Shot!
With Eddy Reynoso in his corner, DAZN and Oscar at his backing, and Canelo as his mentor, he has all of the tools to fully realize his potential.
The valid question now is – who is next?
If you ask Ryan Garcia, he claims he is ready for Tank Davis.
This is a bold claim, but a welcome one. You can listen to my full thoughts on a potential Ryan Garcia matchup with Tank Davis on Episode 5 of The Bad Promoter podcast, but the abridged version is that I see Tank as someone who can be vulnerable to power.
I see a supremely talented fighter who might be susceptible to shots to the jaw and I am hoping Ryan Garcia is the one to bring it out of him.
Having a stong understanding of how the boxing industry works however, I know that Floyd Mayweather/Al Haymon and Oscar De la Hoya might have trouble coming to an immediate agreement on a superfight PPV. Afterall, although Ryan Garcia fights on DAZN, I think once this fight comes to fruition, it will be showcased on Showtime PPV.
With this understanding, I see Devin Haney as being a more realistic option for this summer. Devin Haney is the WBC champ and Ryan Garcia is now the WBC Interim champ-mandatory for defense.
Both of these twenty two year olds fight on DAZN, and they share and extensive amateur background with each other, splitting four amateur bouts.
Given their age, familiarity with each other and their respective standing within the sport, this could be the beginning of a lasting professional rivalry.
Haney was in attendance on Saturday, and said he “sees flaws” in Garcia, and that he’s hopeful that the fight can be made. For what it’s worth, Eddie Hearn has shared his enthusiasm for this bout and the WBC has declared this as a mandatory defense. There are many reasons why this would be the perfect next step for everyone involved.
Regarding the flaws, Devin Haney is not completely wrong. Ryan Garcia fought rather stationary against Luke Campbell and showed little-to-no head movement. Although slightly concerning, I am confident that Ryan Garcia can make the necessary adjustments to his game.
He has the best trainer in the sport behind him and the Number One P4P fighter in the world as his mentor. In case you haven’t noticed, that mentor, Canelo Alvarez, also happens to have some of the best head movement and defense in the sport. Mix that in with class-act work ethic and you have a recipe for success.
While a Ryan Garcia-vs-Tank Davis superfight sounds amazing, there are too many political hurdles that stand in the way for me to see this happening in May 2021. For example, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has his own fight in February, so I can’t see him fully focused on making the next big superfight a reality in our immediate future.
Not to worry though, as we mentioned, this could lead us to the proper next step in Ryan Garcia’s professional career. A former amateur rival is sitting with a legitimate belt, is backed by a promoter who works well with Oscar, and happens to fight on the same streaming platform. Let’s make it happen.
