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Ryan Garcia has been slammed by Leonard Ellerbe for not fighting Gervonta Davis.
'KingRy' and 'Tank' were in talks for a fight in early 2021. However, the fight never came to fruition for a variety of reasons. Garcia was having injury and mental health issues at the time of the proposed booking.
Garcia also reportedly turned the fight down at one point to pursue a fight with Manny Pacquiao. The bout never ended up happening either, and the 23-year-old has himself blamed the Davis fight for not coming together due to negotiations with 'PacMan'.
Leonard Ellerbe of Mayweather Promotions doesn't really see it that way. Just days away from Davis's final bout under the Mayweather banner, the high-ranking executive discussed the failed booking in an interview with FightHype.
In the interview, Ellerbe completely blamed the fight for not happening on Garcia's end of things, saying:
"You know you gotta go and make a deal behind the scenes and then you announce. That’s how it’s supposed to go. You know what I mean, but at the end of the day as it relates to Ryan Garcia. He’s a good fighter, wish him nothing but the best. Yeah, yeah, he f****** off that opportunity with Tank. Yeah, he did. And it’s just recently as a couple of months ago.”
Watch Leonard Ellerbe's interview with FightHype below:
Will Ryan Garcia fight Gervonta Davis?
While the fight between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis hasn't happened as of now, there's a clear avenue for the bout to happen in the future.
'Tank' is set to face Rolando Romero next weekend in another defense of his WBA (Regular) Lightweight title. The bout is slated to be the final one for Davis under Mayweather Promotions, as he's stated that he's going to leave following the bout.
While Leonard Ellerbe might be correct that the bout first didn't happen previously due to Garcia, it's also important to note that Mayweather Promotions and PBC aren't known for easily negotiating. With Davis leaving the promotional stable, he can sign with anyone, even Garcia's Golden Boy Promotions.
Oscar De La Hoya, the head of Golden Boy, has stated that he'd be willing to sign 'Tank' just to make the Garcia fight. While the fight between the two stars hasn't been made yet, and should Davis defeat Romero, it's possible it could happen soon.
