Ryan Garcia: Time for Tank to get knocked out

Five-time, three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis takes on hard-hitting “King” Ryan Garcia in a highly anticipated 12-round showdown headlining a pay-per-view event on Saturday, April 22 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The telecast is being produced and distributed by Showtime PPV and will be available across pay-per-view providers including DAZN PPV.

Tickets for the live event go on sale Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. PT and will be available through www.axs.com. Pre-sale tickets will be available TOMORROW, Thursday, March 9 from 10 a.m. PT to 10 p.m. PT with the code: BOXING

"This fight is boxing the way it should be – two superstars at the peak of their powers squaring off in the ring to see who is truly the best of the best," said Oscar De La Hoya. "Both Ryan and ‘Tank’ are at the top of the world when it comes to speed, power and skill. This will come down to who wants it more, and it is for that reason that I strongly believe Ryan will come out on top."

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) holds the WBA 'regular' lightweight title, and has also won world titles at 130 and 140 pounds during his career. The Baltimore-native set a new gate record for Capital One Arena in January to see him stop the previously unbeaten 130-pound world champion Hector Luis Garcia in the ninth round.

Prior to that fight, Davis added another highlight-reel KO to his resume, as he dispatched longtime rival Rolando Romero with a thudding left hand in February 2022, in another record-setting event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The 28-year-old also owns the distinction as the only fighter to stop former three-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and former 140-pound champion Mario Barrios. Davis burst onto the scene with an explosive knockout of Jose Pedraza in 2017 to capture his first world title and won the lightweight strap he currently holds with a 12th-round KO of former unified champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2019. This bout marks Davis’ sixth-straight headlining appearance on Showtime PPV.

The 24-year-old Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) has used his skills and Hollywood-persona to establish a huge fan base, backing it up in the ring with a perfect record, including knockouts in six of his last seven contests. Most recently, Garcia delivered a sixth-round knockout over former champion Javier Fortuna in July 2022 in front of a packed audience at Los Angeles’ famed Crypto.com Arena.

Born in Victorville, California and now residing in Los Angeles, Garcia has entered the ring for his last two fights under the guidance of legendary trainer Joe Goossen. Garcia established himself as a lightweight contender by rising off the canvas to stop Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in the seventh round of their 2021 clash that saw Garcia walk away with the Interim WBC lightweight title.

“This is the super fight of the year,” said Garcia. “Boxing needs to return to the best fighting the best, and I’m bringing back that hype, that glamor, and a new generation of fans to this beautiful sport. Tank is shorter than me, slower than me, older than me, and he knows it. He’s been ducking me for months, but now he’s all out of excuses. It’s time for him to get knocked out.”