In a recent post-fight interview with TMZ Sports, Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) slammed Ryan Garcia’s (23-1, 19 KOs) performance in his seventh-round knockout loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) last Saturday night in Las Vegas. Stevenson criticized Garcia’s ring IQ, describing his fight strategy as “preschool” level. He pointed out several mistakes in Garcia’s approach, including standing too tall, misjudging distance, and relying too heavily on his left hook.
Garcia’s early knockout came after throwing three consecutive left hooks, which allowed Tank to capitalize on his repetitive tactics. Stevenson emphasized that Garcia lacked the elite-level skill needed to defeat Tank, and only got the fight due to his popularity and nine million Instagram followers. He questioned whether Garcia could have earned the fight on merit alone, suggesting he may have been weeded out if he faced contenders like Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, Frank Martin, or Vasily Lomachenko.
Stevenson was also quick to defend Garcia’s coach, Joe Goosen, arguing that the fighter’s mistakes were the result of his entire boxing education, rather than any shortcomings on Goosen’s part. He noted that Garcia failed to use his height and range to his advantage, which ultimately led to his defeat.
Despite Garcia’s disappointing performance, Stevenson praised Tank Davis for his sharp, intelligent boxing. He highlighted the importance of ring IQ and smarts in reaching the elite level, suggesting that Garcia has much to learn before he can be considered a true contender in the sport.
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