Ebanie Bridges believes the bookmakers are in for a shock this weekend, with the Australian boxing superstar backing Ryan Garcia to shock Gervonta Davis.
Garcia, 24, meets long-term foe Davis, 28, in Las Vegas on Saturday night, with the pair enduring a bitter rivalry ever since fans pitted them on a collision course at the very top of boxing.
With 26 of his 28 professional victories coming by way of knockout, many fear that Garcia will be yet another name added to Davis’ lengthy list of victims, but world champion Bridges thinks plenty are overlooking the underdog, including Davis.
‘I think Tank [Davis] is underestimating him,’ Bridges told Mail Sport. ‘He is underestimating his [Garcia’s] power and grit.
Aussie world champion Ebanie Bridges believes Garcia could have a surprise in store for ‘Tank’ with the way he uses his deadly left hook
Undefeated American Garcia (pictured after beating Javier Fortuna by knockout last year) is being underestimated, according to Bridges
‘I believe Ryan’s mindset is something special, and in boxing the mental game is very important.
‘Not only that, but Garcia has speed and great feet, he is longer and can box.’
Bridges laid out the blueprint that could take the 24-year-old to victory in what will surely be a battle of boxing minds as well as physicality.
‘I know Ryan talks about his left hook and so does Tank, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Ryan will be planning to use his left hook to try and finish Tank with his right hand.
‘It will be a close fight and, honestly, I can see either fighter being knocked out.
‘But I think the fact Ryan is being underestimated can be used to his advantage. Tank could get shocked by Ryan’s speed and power and it will be interesting to see how he handles that.
‘However, I can’t see Ryan being shocked by Tank’s power at all.’
On Thursday, Davis accused Garcia’s advisor of ‘begging’ him not to make a wager that would have seen the winner of the bout take the whole purse
The fighters have made headlines in the lead-up to the bout after Garcia refused his opponent’s challenge to accept a deal that would see the winner take 100 per cent of the purse for the clash.
‘I’m definitely trying to make it official,’ Davis said on Thursday when asked about the wager, which was made over social earlier in the week.
‘His advisor called begging that we don’t make that happen. He was scared.’
Davis said he wanted the bet to happen, but now ‘it ain’t’.
Garcia insisted that he, too, wanted to make the winner-take-all wager official, but doesn’t have the heart to take Davis’ purse in the event he knocks out the Baltimore native.
‘I’m a man of my word I said it and I was ready to do it, and I told everybody let’s just get it done. Do what he wants. Let’s go.’
The reigning IBF bantamweight world champion can see either fighter getting knocked out in Las Vegas – but believes Garcia’s ‘special’ mindset gives him the edge
Garcia then walked his statement back: ‘I wouldn’t do it to him anyway. Even when I knock him out, I’m not gonna take the money from him.’
The exact purses have not yet been reported, but both fighters are expected to clear seven figures, minimum.
The two also squabbled over a rehydration clause, aimed at prohibiting the fighters from adding more than 10 pounds after clearing the 136-pound weight limit at Friday’s weigh-in.
Although Garcia is taller, and could conceivably add more weight before Saturday’s bout, the clause is widely believed to be aimed at limiting Davis’ prodigious power in the ring.
‘Are you or are you not a 135 fighter?’ Davis asked the lightweight Garcia, suggesting that the California native had no reason to request a rehydration clause.
Source: Daily Mail Online