Davis KOs Garcia in 7th round with brutal body shot to win mega fight

'Tank' proclaims himself new face of boxing after big victory

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LAS VEGAS — Gervonta “Tank” Davis didn’t break Ryan Garcia’s jaw as he promised during the lead up to their mega fight, but he sure cracked him in the ribs.

Davis knocked Garcia out in the seventh round — the round he predicted for the finish — with a crippling body shot to win the biggest fight of the year on Saturday night before a star-studded sold-out crowd of 20,842 at T-Mobile Arena.

“Me predicting the seventh-round KO was me just trying to get in his head,” Davis said. “I really don’t know until I actually get in there with my opponent, but once I got in there with him I felt like skill-wise, it all matched.”

The fight had no title at stake and was at a catch weight of 136 pounds but Davis and Garcia, who have emerged in recent years as two of boxing’s most popular fighters, delivered a fight so many wanted to see.

It was so big that rival broadcasters Showtime and DAZN and promoters Golden Boy and PBC came together to deliver the pay-per-view.

“Everything about this was exciting,” Davis said. “I was excited to be a part of this event. I remember coming up in the Golden Gloves and seeing Floyd (Mayweather) fight at the MGM. It was crazy. I actually just saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl, and I thought that’s going to be me one day and we’re here.

“The reality definitely matches the dream. But the job is never done until I retire so I’m going to keep my head down, stay humble and continue to work.”