Good for Boxing: Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia elevated our favorite sport
Boxing catches a lot of flack. With so many tune up fights, belts, and more, people have somewhat soured on the sport that widely popularized combat sports globally. It’s safe to say that without boxing, there would be no MMA, no kickboxing, and no Muay Thai on the stage that we see it now. Without the sport of boxing, the growth wouldn’t be what it is today. And nights like last night with a fight like Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia works hard to go back on that negative view boxing has come to come to be thought of these past couple decades.
The thing about boxing is that, at it’s heart, is about entertainment. Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis showed just that. They brought out what’s best in the sport. They entertained. The business was there but it took place in the background when the fight time arose. Garcia and Davis were true boxers in every sense of the word.
Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis: Sportsmanship
There was a lot of talk ahead of the matchup with Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. The two seemed to not like each other at all. But once the fight was completed, both Davis and Garcia gave credit where credit is due. Neither were bitter about the war of attrition in the leadup to the fight. It was only business.
The sportsmanship shown by both the fighters and their teams afterwards was fantastic. Garcia didn’t raise any excuses and admitted Davis was a better fighter. Davis was a good sport about the win. It was a good thing to see in a sport where tempers flare all too often.
And it worked. There was so much interest in the fight. People that don’t talk about boxing to me in real life came up to me asking about the fight between “Tank and Ryan.” Normally the UFC overshadows boxing on the average night. But this night reigned supreme.
That’s because the big boxing match is the ultimate event. It’s what fans crave. Millions of dollars, thousands of people, and dire consequences. It exemplifies the modern incarnation of gladiators.
Both Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis came out of this fight victoriously. Davis got the win over a big name and his first major pay per view event. The knockout will be one great for his highlight reel for years. It’s a future proof win because Garcia is going places at 140.
Ryan Garcia will grow from this loss. He showed the world that he can show up on the biggest stage and that he will be back stronger. He’s handling the loss well in his post fight pressers, he’s giving Davis credit for being a great boxer.
Often in the broadcast during the fight we heard the commentary down-playing the thought of being undefeated. They said what I’ve essentially been saying for years: Floyd Mayweather hurt modern boxing by being undefeated and making such a big deal about it. The announcers said having a loss is nothing to be down about. They pointed to when Sugar Ray Leonard went on to beat Roberto Duran after Duran beat him in the two’s first meeting.
Pair that mindset with the sportsmanship shown in the fight and we could be seeing a change of opinion in boxing that will only propel the sport back forward.
