First of all, while I am still not a Tank fan, I really underestimated him. I picked Garcia to win and I was very wrong. I wasn't wrong just because I chose the wrong man. I was wrong because I forgot one of boxing's most basic truths. Big power produces big victories. Throughout the history of boxing there have been fighters whose power is so devastating that it negates their flaws as well as their opponents strengths. Currently, we are privileged to be able to watch three such fighters, Deontay Wilder, Naoya Inoue and Gervonta Davis. While watching the fight it was pretty simple to understand. There was Part A, Part B and Part A, the encore. Part A consisted of Garcia becoming the aggressor, with some success I might add, and then getting knocked on his butt by a beautiful Davis left that exploded into the center of Ryan's face. It was a fantastically timed, perfectly thrown shot that took the courage from KingRy. Part B was the most boring but most revealing part of the fight. For three and a half rounds Garcia became extremely cautious. He was more concerned about not getting hit than he was about connecting with punches of his own. These rounds proved what some of you suspected. Garcia has a one-trick pony of an offense and is fundamentally flawed. His inability to get his front foot on the outside of Tank's was jarring. I'm not even sure he tried to do that. Garcia moved away anytime Davis came forward and looked extremely outclassed. More than the knockdowns it was these rounds which showed Garcia was overhyped. (Which is not the same as being a hype job.) Part A, the encore. is pretty basic. Starting about a minute into round six Garcia regained some of his mojo. He started fighting on the front foot again and once again had some success. By round seven he was holding his own when the shot to the ribs/kidney put him on his knee for the count. All in all, Garcia was aggressive for a cumulative total of about two rounds and was rewarded by being knocked down hard once and by receiving a body numbing shot. As far as Tank's performance, he showed athleticism, quickness, patience and, of course, great power. I really hate when I'm wrong but all credit to Davis for a great performance.
Haney is a good fighter and seems to chase the big fights. Haneys mindset to face the best is a rare quality and one that typically influences who I root for more than any other factor. Unfortunately for Haney, Loma posses that quality as well, but is much more entertaining in the ring. I don't know who will win but I'm rooting for Loma. Haney is young and has a lot of talent, I don't think a loss to Loma will set him back too much.
Even if Tank has mediocre power instead of the sledgehammer like power he does have he'd have comprehensively beaten and out boxed Garcia. You can't just go at a counter puncher like Tank, that's what he wants and Garcia despite being the bigger taller fighter gave up all his size advantages by coming in with a game plan to just take it to Tank. Tank won via superior skills not just power. The way Garcia stands right in front of an opponent, the way he over balances with his shots often punching down to his opponent, against a fighter who knows how to fight small and bring bigger men down to his level was always going to be a problem for Garcia. Garcia might as well have been 5"3 the way he fights and gives up his advantages.
