‘You can’t say Garcia didn’t quit against Tank’: Hearn reacts to fight

Eddie Hearn doesn’t criticize Ryan Garcia too harshly, but says he willingly took the 10 count because he didn’t want to continue.

Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV catches up with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn during Canelo Alvarez’s presser to get his take on some recent events, including the big lightweight fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. Hearn shares his thoughts on that fight before going on to talk about how he sees the future of that division with the amount of talent around lightweight. Check out some of what he had to say below.

Hearn on Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia

“I think it was a great event, great for boxing. Both of them need a lot of credit for making the fight. I got a bit caught up in the hype of who might win this fight, but when the fight was made I said Gervonta. Then I had a funny feeling Ryan was gonna do it, and then fight week I was like ‘no, Gervonta wins the fight.’

“I know the finish has a lot of debate. It’s difficult for someone who doesn’t fight to criticize a fighter for not getting up. But he didn’t get up. He got up at 10 and walked to his corner so a lot of people feel like he ‘quit’.

“If you want me to be brutally honest from a boxing sense, you can’t say that he didn’t quit. But I don’t blame him for doing it, like most people in that position would’ve done that. But quitting is deciding not to continue and he decided not to continue. I think it might’ve been wise, but at the end of the day he did look the ref in the eyes and let him count to ten and then got up and walked to the corner. But we can’t say that because I’m just a fat promoter.

“It’s difficult to criticize a fighter, but being honest, he did (quit). When you sit on your knee and let the ref count to ten — you have to try to get up, whether you are bent over and the ref goes ‘no’. He didn’t want to get up. I don’t blame him, and I’m sure he had a rib injury and stuff. I’m not saying he’s a joke, he’s this, he’s that. No, I think he might’ve made the right decision. But he still chose not to get up.”

On where he thinks Davis stacks up against other lightweights like Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson

“I think 140 is the new glamor division coming over the next year because they’re all gonna move up. Devin’s gonna move up, Ryan’s up to 140, Tank can fight at 140, Shakur can do a bit of everything. There’s a lot of talent there and I hope they fight each other — whether that’s Devin, Tank, Regis, Matias, all those guys at 140, Josh Taylor, Teofimo. There’s so many great fights to be made.”

On how he ranks the fighters he just mentioned

“I think Shakur Stevenson (is the best at 135). He’s the best fighter. I think so. He’s a fantastic fighter. Listen, Devin’s my friend, I think Devin against Shakur is a great fight, as is Tank. I just don’t think he’ll beat Shakur Stevenson. I don’t think he’s a massive star like Tank Davis, but I don’t think anyone beats him. I would bet Shakur Stevenson every time over those guys.

“(Stevenson) may be a guy that gets beat when he moves up. He started at featherweight, went to super, now he’s at lightweight. Over time those special guys will get beat by moving up divisions, Lomachenko, maybe even Inoue. That’s how they’ll get beat, by moving up divisions.