Report: The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight generated a massive 1.2 million pay-per-view buys and a huge live gate.
Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia was as big an event as the hype suggested it was.
The fight, which took place last Saturday in Las Vegas generated about 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S., sources told Fight Freaks Unite. That’s the most buys for a sanctioned bout since Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovin I in 2017 generated 1.3 million.
The Mike Tyson-Roy Jones exhibition in 2020 did a reported 1.6 million.
Davis-Garcia also generated an estimated $22.8 million live gate at T-Mobile Arena, with an announced crowd of 20,842. The dollar figure was the most in Nevada since Alvarez-Golovkin II, which earned $24,473,500.
Davis and Garcia are two of the most popular boxers, with large social media followings.
“Although I can’t formally confirm the final numbers at this point, it is clear that Gervonta versus Ryan delivered a memorable knockout in the ring and at the box office and reinforces Showtime as the No. 1 network in boxing,” Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza said in a statement sent to Fight Freaks Unite.
“We knew this event was going to be special and that it had the potential to connect with an audience beyond the hardcore boxing fan. Tank and Ryan proved that when you match the best against the best, the sports world will turn out in support.”
Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) stopped Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) with a body shot in Round 7 of their 136-pound fight.
Report: The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight generated a massive 1.2 million pay-per-view buys and a huge live gate.
Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia was as big an event as the hype suggested it was.
The fight, which took place last Saturday in Las Vegas generated about 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in the U.S., sources told Fight Freaks Unite. That’s the most buys for a sanctioned bout since Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovin I in 2017 generated 1.3 million.
The Mike Tyson-Roy Jones exhibition in 2020 did a reported 1.6 million.
Davis-Garcia also generated an estimated $22.8 million live gate at T-Mobile Arena, with an announced crowd of 20,842. The dollar figure was the most in Nevada since Alvarez-Golovkin II, which earned $24,473,500.
Davis and Garcia are two of the most popular boxers, with large social media followings.
“Although I can’t formally confirm the final numbers at this point, it is clear that Gervonta versus Ryan delivered a memorable knockout in the ring and at the box office and reinforces Showtime as the No. 1 network in boxing,” Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza said in a statement sent to Fight Freaks Unite.
“We knew this event was going to be special and that it had the potential to connect with an audience beyond the hardcore boxing fan. Tank and Ryan proved that when you match the best against the best, the sports world will turn out in support.”
Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) stopped Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) with a body shot in Round 7 of their 136-pound fight.
Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight. The victory underscored “Tank’s”‘ place among the best handful of fighters in the …
Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight.
The victory underscored “Tank’s”‘ place among the best handful of fighters in the world.
The next step in the career of Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) should be the most difficult, at least on paper: a meeting with one of the top, more-established 135-pounders.
Here are the five best possible opponents for the rising star from Baltimore.
SHAKUR STEVENSON
Record: 20-0 (10 KOs)
Stevenson might be the most skillful boxer on the planet. The former 130-pound titleholder has been untouchable, with the natural gifts and ability to pick his opponents apart while taking almost nothing in return. And the 25-year-old southpaw from New Jersey hasn’t been fighting bums, with Joet Gonzalez, Jamel Herring and Oscar Valdez among his victims. Davis, a superb technician himself, can box with anyone but he generally relies on big punches to get the job done. He could find it difficult to land cleanly against Stevenson, who might be able to stick-and-move his way to surviving 12 rounds and winning a decision. Stevenson’s one liability is ordinary punching power, which could work against him in a meeting with Davis. Can the fight be made? Davis and Stevenson are aligned with competing outlets. But so were Davis and Garcia. If Davis wants the fight to happen, it’ll happen.
DEVIN HANEY
Record: 29-0 (15 KOs)
Haney is the undisputed champion but not necessarily the No. 1 135-pounder. The 24-year-old from San Francisco also is one of the best technicians in the business, although probably not as good as Stevenson. And he punches no harder than Stevenson does, which would add to the challenge he’d face against a complete fighter like Davis. However, Haney shouldn’t be underestimated, even against Davis. He has big fight experience, including back-to-back victories over George Kambosos (the first in which he won all four titles). And he’s a particularly big 135-pounder, which is always a plus. Negotiations between Davis and Haney also could be tricky. However, Davis will be highly motivated to fight for the undisputed championship, whether it’s against Haney or Vasiliy Lomachenko. Haney and Lomachenko are scheduled to meet on May 20.
VASILIY LOMACHENKO Record: 17-2 (11 KOs)
Lomachenko is a wildcard. The boxing wizard from Ukraine could make a fool out of almost anyone once upon a time but he’s 35 now. We’ll find out whether he still has it when he fights Haney. Many wrote Lomachenko off when he lost his 135-pound titles to Teofimo Lopez by a unanimous decision in October 2020. However, he fought with an injured shoulder in that bout. He has since delivered convincing victories over Masayoshi Nakatani (TKO 9), Richard Commey (UD) and Jamaine Ortiz (UD), leading some to believe that he still has plenty to give in this sport. That could be bad news for Davis should they meet in the ring. A Lomachenko at the top of his game could frustrate anyone, even a top pound-for-pounder. Competing entities could pose problems in this one too. However, if Lomachenko beats Haney, Davis will want to fight him.
FRANK MARTIN
Record: 17-0 (12 KOs)
Martin isn’t as established as the big four – Davis, Stevenson, Haney and Lomachenko – but he has shown signs of being a special fighter. He has impressive God-given gifts, polished skills and solid punching power. He had a major breakthrough in his most recent fight, a dominating unanimous decision over previously unbeaten and respected Michel Rivera in December that lifted the 28-year-old from Detroit to elite status. He’s ranked in the Top 7 of all four major sanctioning bodies, which means a big fight is around the corner if he continues to win. Could he push Davis? That would be difficult without much big-fight experience but he has the tools to give anyone problems. Plus, he and Davis are both aligned with PBC and Showtime, which would make negotiations relatively easy.
ISAAC CRUZ
Record: 24-2-1 (17 KOs)
Cruz has already tangled with Davis, giving a good account of himself in a unanimous decision loss in December 2021. So good that he arguably earned the right to meet Davis again. The squat, powerful Mexican might’ve revealed the formula that could give Davis trouble, unrelenting pressure combined with the ability to take hard punches. Cruz never stopped coming. Davis said afterward that he reinjured an injury to his left (lead) hand in the fight, which was a significant handicap. Maybe a healthy, two-handed Davis dominates Cruz, maybe not. One thing is certain: After the first fight, Cruz would step into the ring with a lot of confidence. That’s half the battle against intimidating fighters like Davis. I don’t know whether Davis would be interested in giving Cruz another shot but the fight would be easy to make because they share a manager.
Next two: William Zepeda, an aggressive, powerful volume puncher; Keyshawn Davis, the gifted but relatively inexperienced Olympic silver medalist.
Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight. The victory underscored “Tank’s”‘ place among the best handful of fighters in the …
Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight.
The victory underscored “Tank’s”‘ place among the best handful of fighters in the world.
The next step in the career of Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) should be the most difficult, at least on paper: a meeting with one of the top, more-established 135-pounders.
Here are the five best possible opponents for the rising star from Baltimore.
SHAKUR STEVENSON
Record: 20-0 (10 KOs)
Stevenson might be the most skillful boxer on the planet. The former 130-pound titleholder has been untouchable, with the natural gifts and ability to pick his opponents apart while taking almost nothing in return. And the 25-year-old southpaw from New Jersey hasn’t been fighting bums, with Joet Gonzalez, Jamel Herring and Oscar Valdez among his victims. Davis, a superb technician himself, can box with anyone but he generally relies on big punches to get the job done. He could find it difficult to land cleanly against Stevenson, who might be able to stick-and-move his way to surviving 12 rounds and winning a decision. Stevenson’s one liability is ordinary punching power, which could work against him in a meeting with Davis. Can the fight be made? Davis and Stevenson are aligned with competing outlets. But so were Davis and Garcia. If Davis wants the fight to happen, it’ll happen.
DEVIN HANEY
Record: 29-0 (15 KOs)
Haney is the undisputed champion but not necessarily the No. 1 135-pounder. The 24-year-old from San Francisco also is one of the best technicians in the business, although probably not as good as Stevenson. And he punches no harder than Stevenson does, which would add to the challenge he’d face against a complete fighter like Davis. However, Haney shouldn’t be underestimated, even against Davis. He has big fight experience, including back-to-back victories over George Kambosos (the first in which he won all four titles). And he’s a particularly big 135-pounder, which is always a plus. Negotiations between Davis and Haney also could be tricky. However, Davis will be highly motivated to fight for the undisputed championship, whether it’s against Haney or Vasiliy Lomachenko. Haney and Lomachenko are scheduled to meet on May 20.
VASILIY LOMACHENKO Record: 17-2 (11 KOs)
Lomachenko is a wildcard. The boxing wizard from Ukraine could make a fool out of almost anyone once upon a time but he’s 35 now. We’ll find out whether he still has it when he fights Haney. Many wrote Lomachenko off when he lost his 135-pound titles to Teofimo Lopez by a unanimous decision in October 2020. However, he fought with an injured shoulder in that bout. He has since delivered convincing victories over Masayoshi Nakatani (TKO 9), Richard Commey (UD) and Jamaine Ortiz (UD), leading some to believe that he still has plenty to give in this sport. That could be bad news for Davis should they meet in the ring. A Lomachenko at the top of his game could frustrate anyone, even a top pound-for-pounder. Competing entities could pose problems in this one too. However, if Lomachenko beats Haney, Davis will want to fight him.
FRANK MARTIN
Record: 17-0 (12 KOs)
Martin isn’t as established as the big four – Davis, Stevenson, Haney and Lomachenko – but he has shown signs of being a special fighter. He has impressive God-given gifts, polished skills and solid punching power. He had a major breakthrough in his most recent fight, a dominating unanimous decision over previously unbeaten and respected Michel Rivera in December that lifted the 28-year-old from Detroit to elite status. He’s ranked in the Top 7 of all four major sanctioning bodies, which means a big fight is around the corner if he continues to win. Could he push Davis? That would be difficult without much big-fight experience but he has the tools to give anyone problems. Plus, he and Davis are both aligned with PBC and Showtime, which would make negotiations relatively easy.
ISAAC CRUZ
Record: 24-2-1 (17 KOs)
Cruz has already tangled with Davis, giving a good account of himself in a unanimous decision loss in December 2021. So good that he arguably earned the right to meet Davis again. The squat, powerful Mexican might’ve revealed the formula that could give Davis trouble, unrelenting pressure combined with the ability to take hard punches. Cruz never stopped coming. Davis said afterward that he reinjured an injury to his left (lead) hand in the fight, which was a significant handicap. Maybe a healthy, two-handed Davis dominates Cruz, maybe not. One thing is certain: After the first fight, Cruz would step into the ring with a lot of confidence. That’s half the battle against intimidating fighters like Davis. I don’t know whether Davis would be interested in giving Cruz another shot but the fight would be easy to make because they share a manager.
Next two: William Zepeda, an aggressive, powerful volume puncher; Keyshawn Davis, the gifted but relatively inexperienced Olympic silver medalist.
Gervonta Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body shot in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday at a packed T-Mobile in Las Vegas. Here are images of the fight. All photos by Al Bello of Getty Images.
Gervonta Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body shot in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday at a packed T-Mobile in Las Vegas.
Here are images of the fight. All photos by Al Bello of Getty Images.
Gervonta Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body shot in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday at a packed T-Mobile in Las Vegas. Here are images of the fight. All photos by Al Bello of Getty Images.
Gervonta Davis knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body shot in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday at a packed T-Mobile in Las Vegas.
Here are images of the fight. All photos by Al Bello of Getty Images.
Gervonta Davis stopped Ryan Garcia with body shot in the seventh round in another brilliant performance Saturday in Las Vegas.
Can anyone beat Gervonta Davis?
Ryan Garcia is a damn good fighter and he didn’t even come close Saturday night before 20,842 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, taking a vicious left to the body that forced him to quit on one knee in the seventh round.
The dramatic ending – Davis’ 27th knockout in 29 victories – was only the punctuation mark on another superb all-around performance by Tank.
Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) isn’t as established as some elite fighters near his weight but he’s a well-schooled, terrific athlete with one-punch knockout power. And Davis defused almost everything he tried to do.
The 24-year-old from California attacked Davis aggressively several times in Round 2 in an attempt take charge, only to have Davis tie him up in each instance. Then a short left from Davis put Garcia down.
Garcia landed a few nice right hands in Round 6, which was perhaps his best round and gave him hope of turning the momentum. Then, in the next round, the fight was over.
Garcia’s vaunted left hook? It was as if it didn’t exist.
Davis didn’t beat up Garcia but he beat him convincingly. He outboxed him from the second round on, did enough to win the rounds, put Garcia down twice and scored a highlight reel knockout while taking almost no punishment himself.
The scores – 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56 – might seem to indicate that the fight was close. It wasn’t. It was another dominating performance by Davis, who continues to build a case that he’s the best boxer in the world.
“You really don’t know until you actually get in with an opponent,” Davis said in the ring afterward. “Once I got in there with him, I felt, skill wise, it was [not a good match].”
The knockout was painful to watch.
Davis and Garcia were in close quarters when Davis, in a crouching position, lifted up his head and poked a straight left hand into the right side of Garcia.
Garcia took a step back and turned slightly but it didn’t seem to be a fight-ending shot. Then he winced and dropped to a knee in obvious pain. And that’s where he stayed when referee Thomas Taylor reached the count of 10.
Garcia was gutted in more ways than one.
“He just caught me with a good shot,” Garcia said. “I don’t want to make excuses. He caught me with a good shot and I just couldn’t recover. That’s it, all I want to say.”
Davis said that he wasn’t sure whether he had landed the decisive blow.
“I thought he was going to get up,” Davis said and then described eye contact between the rivals. “I like to play mind games. When he looked at me, I looked at him like I was saying, ‘Get up.’ He shook his head, saying, ‘no.’”
Where does the victory leave Davis?
The obvious next step is to pursue one of the top 135-pounders next, undisputed champion Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko or Shakur Stevenson, all of whom have a stronger resume than Garcia.
It’s not clear how the matchmaking will play out. Haney is scheduled to defend against Lomachenko on May 20. And Stevenson fights for a rival outfit, Top Rank.
The big fights will come, though. Davis is too good, too popular to avoid if anyone has a mind to do so.
How popular is he? The organizers of the event on Saturday declared repeatedly that the winner would become the face of boxing because of the fighters’ combination of ability, massive social media following and, in Davis’ case, the ability to pack arenas.
That might be an overstatement with Canelo Alvarez still active. Then again, maybe Davis has already overtaken the Mexican star, who might be in decline.
Tank was asked afterward whether he’s now the face of the sport. He didn’t hesitate when he responded.
“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” he said. “Abso-f—ing-lutely.”
Gervonta Davis stopped Ryan Garcia with body shot in the seventh round in another brilliant performance Saturday in Las Vegas.
Can anyone beat Gervonta Davis?
Ryan Garcia is a damn good fighter and he didn’t even come close Saturday night before 20,842 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, taking a vicious left to the body that forced him to quit on one knee in the seventh round.
The dramatic ending – Davis’ 27th knockout in 29 victories – was only the punctuation mark on another superb all-around performance by Tank.
Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) isn’t as established as some elite fighters near his weight but he’s a well-schooled, terrific athlete with one-punch knockout power. And Davis defused almost everything he tried to do.
The 24-year-old from California attacked Davis aggressively several times in Round 2 in an attempt take charge, only to have Davis tie him up in each instance. Then a short left from Davis put Garcia down.
Garcia landed a few nice right hands in Round 6, which was perhaps his best round and gave him hope of turning the momentum. Then, in the next round, the fight was over.
Garcia’s vaunted left hook? It was as if it didn’t exist.
Davis didn’t beat up Garcia but he beat him convincingly. He outboxed him from the second round on, did enough to win the rounds, put Garcia down twice and scored a highlight reel knockout while taking almost no punishment himself.
The scores – 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56 – might seem to indicate that the fight was close. It wasn’t. It was another dominating performance by Davis, who continues to build a case that he’s the best boxer in the world.
“You really don’t know until you actually get in with an opponent,” Davis said in the ring afterward. “Once I got in there with him, I felt, skill wise, it was [not a good match].”
The knockout was painful to watch.
Davis and Garcia were in close quarters when Davis, in a crouching position, lifted up his head and poked a straight left hand into the right side of Garcia.
Garcia took a step back and turned slightly but it didn’t seem to be a fight-ending shot. Then he winced and dropped to a knee in obvious pain. And that’s where he stayed when referee Thomas Taylor reached the count of 10.
Garcia was gutted in more ways than one.
“He just caught me with a good shot,” Garcia said. “I don’t want to make excuses. He caught me with a good shot and I just couldn’t recover. That’s it, all I want to say.”
Davis said that he wasn’t sure whether he had landed the decisive blow.
“I thought he was going to get up,” Davis said and then described eye contact between the rivals. “I like to play mind games. When he looked at me, I looked at him like I was saying, ‘Get up.’ He shook his head, saying, ‘no.’”
Where does the victory leave Davis?
The obvious next step is to pursue one of the top 135-pounders next, undisputed champion Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko or Shakur Stevenson, all of whom have a stronger resume than Garcia.
It’s not clear how the matchmaking will play out. Haney is scheduled to defend against Lomachenko on May 20. And Stevenson fights for a rival outfit, Top Rank.
The big fights will come, though. Davis is too good, too popular to avoid if anyone has a mind to do so.
How popular is he? The organizers of the event on Saturday declared repeatedly that the winner would become the face of boxing because of the fighters’ combination of ability, massive social media following and, in Davis’ case, the ability to pack arenas.
That might be an overstatement with Canelo Alvarez still active. Then again, maybe Davis has already overtaken the Mexican star, who might be in decline.
Tank was asked afterward whether he’s now the face of the sport. He didn’t hesitate when he responded.
“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” he said. “Abso-f—ing-lutely.”
Watch it: Gervonta Davis’ brutal body shot that stopped Ryan Garcia.
Gervonta Davis landed a left to the body that forced Ryan Garcia to take a knee and he didn’t get up, giving Davis a knockout victory in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
Watch it: Gervonta Davis’ brutal body shot that stopped Ryan Garcia.
Gervonta Davis landed a left to the body that forced Ryan Garcia to take a knee and he didn’t get up, giving Davis a knockout victory in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-round 136-pound fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
