Ryan Garcia has backed a winner in the potential lightweight unification bout between Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson.
Stevenson is convinced he will be the first man to defeat Davis and vice versa. The two lightweight champions have wildly different fighting styles, though share a certain confidence that only an undefeated elite operator can boast.
‘Tank’ has 28 knockouts from his 30 wins and a claim as the sport’s biggest puncher, pound-for-pound. He has beaten the likes of Isaac Cruz (one of the two men to take him the distance), Mario Barrios, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jose Pedraza and Garcia himself.
Stevenson – who boasts victories over Jamel Herring, Oscar Valdez and Edwin De Los Santos – only has a 45% knockout-to-win ratio, however makes up for less power with some of the best defence and movement in the sport.
There is little doubt that the match-up between the two champions – Davis the WBA, Stevenson WBC – is one of the most intriguing in the sport. Many feel it would be a pick ’em, however Garcia – who was stopped via body shot by ‘Tank’ back in 2023 – backed his former opponent to win clearly.
Gervonta beats shakur
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) April 27, 2024
Both men have title defences lined up. Stevenson will put his belt on the line against rising star Floyd Schofield on February 22 in Saudi Arabia before ‘Tank’ headlines in Brooklyn against challenger Lamont Roach Jr.
Whether or not productive talks can take place for the unification thereafter remains to be seen. Of course both men must win, but there are man other obstacles to the contracts being signed as past failed negotiations have shown.
