Ryan Garcia 23-0 (19) insists he wants to fight Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 27-0 (25) but there still remains questions around how the fight will be broadcast.
The proposal is for the pair to meet in January, but with Davis aligned to Showtime and Garcia hooked up with DAZN, there are still kinks in the agreement that need to be ironed out.
The bout will take place on pay-per-view at a catchweight of 136-pounds.
“I want to fight Tank and Tank wants to fight me,” Garcia said on Twitter. “This fight is what boxing needs right now! I accepted all the terms on my side and instructed my team to get it done exactly as offered. The fans deserve this fight. Our sport needs this fight.
“We gotta get this BS figured out. This should have been the best couple of months in boxing. Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford fell apart. Me and Tank running into issues. That’s not what boxing is supposed to be about. Respectfully, celebrity boxing should not be defining our sport.
“Everyone talks about player empowerment in the NBA and other sports leagues. It’s time to have a real conversation about player empowerment in pro boxing.
“I want this fight for my career and, real talk, my mental health. The guys in charge can make this happen. Don’t let this break down. I’m asking on behalf of everyone who loves the most beautiful sport in the world.”
Davis is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in Brooklyn back in May. Garcia last saw action in July when he had his second fight at junior welterweight, knocking out Javier Fortuna in six.
A fight between the two young guns – Garcia is 24 while southpaw Davis is 27 – would be one of the better fights that can be made in boxing.
President of Showtime Sports Stephen Espinoza was cautiously optimistic the fight could be made.
“I wish I could give you a definitive answer,” Espinoza said to FightHubTV. “What I can tell you is that our side will sit at the table for as long as it takes. We’re not walking away. Tank’s not looking at other opportunities. This is going to play out until it’s clear that a deal can or can’t be made.
“Tank’s side has made the offer. They are driving the business offering. They have a certain view on how the network should work. And that’s where things are. If DAZN is going to insist on being involved in a certain way, well, that may or may not kill the opportunity. I don’t want that to happen. We’re working for that not happen. But at the same time there are certain business realities.”
