Mike Tyson, the legendary former heavyweight champion, surprised all and sundry recently when he walked in unannounced to embrace budding boxer Ryan ‘Kingry’ Garcia before his fight with Devin Haney. This unexpected event over the weekend not only became the talk of the boxing circles but also triggered intense media discussions over a potential future clash between Garcia and Tyson’s mentee, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
The boxing icon and the young fighter have been showing mutual affection and respect for some time on social media, which perhaps was the precursor to this stunning surprise. Tyson walked in just as Garcia was preparing himself backstage for the much-anticipated fight against Haney. The look of astonishment on Garcia’s face was quite apparent. This act was seen as a significant endorsement from Mike Tyson, often dubbed as the ‘Baddest Man on The Planet.’
In the course of his boxing career, Tyson has hardly ever been seen being so publically affectionate towards a young, budding boxer. It shows his belief in ‘Kingry’ Garcia – the 21-year-old who’s currently making big waves in the boxing world. Garnering such support from a boxing titan like Tyson can undeniably augment Garcia’s credibility, giving him an added advantage in the ring.
Many believe Tyson’s sudden gesture also had a hidden message, potentially hinting at an impending bout between the talented Garcia and Tyson’s protégé Gervonta Davis. Despite Ryan Garcia being comparatively new in the boxing fraternity, with 21 fights and 18 knockouts, he has shown signs of true a boxing genius. ‘Tank’ Davis, on the other hand, has won 25 fights, of which 24 have been knockout victories.
Observers see this potential match as a clash between Garcia’s raw talent, agility, and speed versus Davis’s experience, sheer power, and knockout capability. A fight of the magnitude of this speculation, though in incipient stages, could potentially be one of the biggest boxing draws.
Post the embrace, the duo had a short exchange of words as well. Even though the details of the conversation were substantially muffled, Tyson was reportedly heard giving Garcia some last-minute advice that likely played a significant role in Garcia’s performance against Haney.
In the end, the golden boy lived up to Tyson’s faith in him by as Ryan Garcia emerged victorious against Devin Haney. His victory stimulated further speculation about a Garcia-Davis clash. Given that Garcia is getting such a massive endorsement from legendary figures such as Tyson, it is of no surprise that the boxing fraternity is holding its breath for the next big announcement.
While only time will unveil whether Mike Tyson’s sudden affectionate gesture was just a gesture of goodwill or had solid plans behind it, one thing that is certain for now is that Ryan Garcia’s morale has received a colossal boost. If this much-anticipated bout between Garcia and Davis indeed happens, it would be a significant event in which Garcia’s boxing skills and public support, now bolstered by Tyson’s endorsement, would be put to the ultimate test.
Whatever transpires in the future, Tyson’s surprise and public endorsement of Garcia has certainly reiterated a fact we all know – Mike Tyson always has a way of catching us off guard, inside and outside the ring.
