By Sam Volz: Negotiations for the April 15th Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Ryan Garcia mega-fight have hit a snag over the rematch clause for the fight. The Tank-Ryan fight is now in jeopardy, with a chance that it won’t happen unless one of the two sides gives in.
It is an easily solvable issue if you’re on Ryan Garcia’s side. The rematch clause only comes into play if he wins, which some would say is highly improbable.
The clause is a one-sided one that can only be activated by Tank Davis (28-0, 26 KOs); his side management at PBC & network, Showtime, wants to be the lead promoter in the rematch if he loses to Ryan and chooses to activate it.
They’re already the lead promoters for the April 15th fight, but they want to continue to be for the rematch, even though it would only be activated if their fighter lost.
Not surprisingly, Ryan Garcia’s promoters at Golden Boy and his network, DAZN, want to be the lead promoter and network for the rematch, as they likely feel it’s only fair that they are in charge of the show the second time around, given their fighter’s victory.
“The deal for the planned April 15 super-fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia hasn’t yet been completed because of a dispute over the rematch clause,” reports Mike Coppinger of ESPN.
“If Garcia wins and the rematch clause is activated, Golden Boy and DAZN argue that their side should be the lead promoter and PPV producer/distributor.
“PBC and Showtime maintain that the promoter and network should remain the same for a potential encore bout.”
Should Ryan Garcia walk away?
Many people on social media are on Ryan Garcia’s side on this, feeling that if he beats Tank Davis, his promoters at Golden Boy and his network, DAZN, should be the ones in charge of putting on the rematch. After all, Ryan would be the winner, and as the saying goes, ‘To the victor goes the spoils.’
Whether Ryan & Golden Boy give into Tank Davis’ side on this will depend on how badly they want this fight.
If Tank, PBC & Showtime don’t agree to what they want, Ryan can always walk away and be the A-side against almost anyone at 135 or 140. Tank isn’t the only fighter in that Ryan can make big money fighting.
Of course, if this is all about cashing out for Ryan, who might not feel confident about beating the A-level fighters at 135 or 140, then by all means, he should consider giving in to what Tank Davis’ side wants in terms of being the lead promoter & network for the rematch.
When you look in real terms, Tank is likely to win the April 15th fight, so it’s neither here nor there about the rematch clause because the chances of it being used are next to zero.
If Ryan had experience against cutting-edge competition and proven himself capable of beating a fighter like Tank Davis, then it would be worth it for him to scrap the fight over this issue potentially, but that’s not the case. This fight is essentially a cash out for Ryan Garcia, so he might as well give in to what Tank Davis’s side wants because he’ll never get the opportunity anyway.
Tank has a trial on February 16th in Baltimore, and it’s unclear whether he’ll get cuffed and taken away to jail immediately if he’s found guilty or if it can be delayed.