There’s a growing sentiment that Ryan Garcia flat-out quit against Gervonta Davis. This past weekend, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Garcia and Davis squared off in front of a jam-packed crowd. Heading in, the explosive 24-year-old was convinced that he was more than capable of getting the job done. Ultimately, however, Davis proved that he was simply a level above.
After winning the first round on two of the three judge’s scorecards, Garcia’s luck took a turn for the worse. Just moments into the frame, Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) floored his longtime rival with a straight left hand. Immediately after, trepidation set in as Garcia refused to engage in long and drawn-out exchanges.
With Davis taking control, a glancing and seemingly tenuous body blow ended the night in the seventh. Initially, fans stood dumb-founded as Garcia, who was forced to take a knee, was unable to beat the 10 count.
Although fans and many of Garcia’s pugilistic peers have lambasted him for the manner in which he went out, Oscar Valdez doesn't believe that his former stablemate deserves the endless array of criticism that’s been hurled in his direction.
“I hear a lot of comments,” said Valdez to Fight Hub TV during a recent interview. “People saying 'he could’ve got up, he should’ve done this, should’ve done that’ but a lot of these guys that say that, I feel like they never got hit to the body. Those body shots, they hurt.”
Garcia, once he was officially counted out by referee Thomas Taylor, stood at the post fight podium despondently before explaining why he was unable to continue. More than anything, Garcia revealed that the wind was completely knocked out of him.
In hindsight, while he’s disappointed, Garcia is ignoring his critics. According to Valdez, the super lightweight contender shouldn't be ashamed of how things played out. Having experienced his fair share of in-ring wars, Valdez can attest to the mind-numbing pain that ensues following a forceful blow to the body.
“They hurt more than when you get knocked down. When you get knocked down, you don’t really feel anything, you just go to sleep. But, body shots, they paralyze you. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
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