It's impossible to overstate the magnitude of Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia stepping into the ring on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Though boxing is infamous for overpromotion, that is most certainly not the case here. The immensely popular fighters enter a combined 51-0 and resonate with younger fans in a way the sport so desperately needs. With fights like Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk and Errol Spence-Terence Crawford stuck in the mud and (for now) lost to bad-faith negotiating, the 28-year-old Davis and 24-year-old Garcia are giving the people what they want.
On Thursday, the legendary Oscar De La Hoya declared this "the fight that will save boxing."
Who will come out on top? We polled six of our boxing experts to take the temperature before Davis and Garcia touch gloves.
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Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia predictions, expert picks
Andreas Hale, Combat Senior Writer
This fight is almost impossible to pick because there are so many variables and even more untested elements (like Gervonta Davis' chin). A lot has been made of Luke Campbell dropping Garcia in January 2021, but Campbell was Garcia's equal in height. Davis will have no such luck and will need to be crafty to get inside on Garcia. That being said, Davis' boxing ability is extremely underrated.
My concern is that Davis tends to get hit a lot on the outside and will almost certainly have to take one to give one against "KingRy." If Garcia uses his length to pick off Davis' advances, then it will eventually pay off when Davis runs into something he doesn't see coming. If you asked me last week, I would have said Davis floors Garcia late. And this pick might change again by fight night.
Pick: Ryan Garcia by KO/TKO (8th round)
Tom Gray, Boxing Deputy Editor
I can feel the heat already. I’ve thought long and hard about this fight and can make a strong case for either guy.
Ultimately, I’m going against the grain on both the result and the method of victory. The talk is that this fight can’t go the distance, but I disagree. Tank has never been down as a pro, and I can’t even recall him being stunned. Garcia has been down once, courtesy of Luke Campbell, and he shook it off and scored a stoppage. Both men are in their 20s and they don’t know how to lose.
Garcia has been upselling his left hook throughout the build-up, which could be subterfuge. He has enormous advantages in terms of height and reach, and he would benefit from keeping it long. If he fights to his strengths and picks Tank off, I can see Garcia winning a comfortable decision in the biggest fight of his life.
Pick: Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision
MORE: Hall of Famer boxer-turned-trainer breaks down Davis-Garcia
Dom Farrell, Boxing Writer
There are several ways you can slice this fantastic showdown between two of the biggest stars in the sport. But I'm struggling to shake the image of Garcia being decked by Luke Campbell in January 2021. Yes, Ryan climbed off the canvas to win, but he was dropped and dropped hard against London 2012 gold medalist Campbell, a technically skilled fighter but not a noted banger. Davis has exceptional ringcraft and boxing IQ to call upon and he also hits like a mule.
Expect Garcia to have some early success, making the most of his reach advantage against Tank, who, fittingly, given his famous nickname, is a slow starter. But Garcia also can't seem to resist a tear-up and both men will give us what we want to see as the fight warms up, with Garcia's tendency to leave his chin hanging out a little too long set to be punished shortly after halfway.
Pick: Gervonta Davis by KO/TKO (7th round)
Daniel Yanofsky, Boxing Editor
Ready or not, Davis and Garcia will compete in the biggest fight of their careers. Before Davis, Luke Campbell was Garcia's biggest problem, and he survived a knockdown to take out the Brit. Can Garcia use his length and quick hands to take down "Tank"? The Baltimore native starts slow but picks up the pace as the bout continues.
Davis may be a bit cautious trying to fight on the inside, but if he spots a weakness, he will take advantage and rush into "KingRy." Once he's in, a combination of uppercuts and swift body shots should be game over for Garcia.
The fight can go either way and my pick could change come fight night, but right now, Davis will be the one to walk out of Las Vegas the winner.
Pick: Gervonta Davis by KO/TKO (8th round)
Ben Miller, Boxing Writer
This pick is laced with doubt thanks to a package of unknowables on both sides: Garcia's readiness, how telling Davis' inferior reach will be, and whether "Tank's" unconvincing performance against Isaac Cruz can be taken as instructive.
The unpredictability is heightened by an overarching sense that neither fighter has faced a quick power puncher yet. The crafty bet feels like Garcia to win on points — and comfortably if his opponent reverts to giving rounds away — but Davis can seize on the smallest of mistakes in detonative fashion, perhaps past the midway point of the fight.
However it turns out, I don't foresee an outcome that will significantly damage the loser's reputation.
Pick: Gervonta Davis by KO/TKO (8th round)
Micah Adams, Managing Editor
Allow me to speak on behalf of the millions of casual boxing fans who will tune in to this fight without having ever seen Davis or Garcia box. I'll leave the technical in-ring mechanics to the sweet science experts, but from the outside looking in, here's what I see:
- I see a combined 51-0 record for two young superstars just entering their primes.
- I see an electric superfight built for social media with casual appeal that supersedes anything since probably Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.
- I see a clash of cultures: the inner-city Baltimore fighter against the pretty boy from California.
- I see a controversial, yet calculated, bull in Davis, who hasn't been dropped as a pro.
- I see a towering, yet disarming, social media darling in Garcia, with the million-dollar smile and billion-dollar left hook.
- I see two incredibly popular fighters with an opportunity to grow the sport and reach young casual fans from every walk of life.
It all adds up to not only the fight of the year, but also a golden opportunity that's been missing from the sport for over a decade. I'm picking Davis to avoid that punishing signature shot and outlast Garcia in an instant classic, in what is hopefully the first of at least three fights between two of boxing's biggest stars.
Pick: Gervonta Davis by split decision
Final predictions and results
According to BetMGM, Davis enters as a -250 favorite while Garcia is the underdog at +220.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the final tally from our writers was 4-2 in favor of Davis. Here's a look at how our team sees it playing out.
| Writer | Winner | Method |
| Andreas Hale | Garcia | TKO 8 |
| Tom Gray | Garcia | UD |
| Dom Farrell | Davis | TKO 7 |
| Daniel Yanofsky | Davis | TKO 8 |
| Ben Miller | Davis | TKO 8 |
| Micah Adams | Davis | SD |
Who do you think will win?
