Back in 1892, heavyweight champion John L Sullivan fought challenger James J Corbett in New Orleans. At stake is not only the heavyweight title, but also twenty-five thousand dollars. It was truly a winner in all competitions (one that the slick Corbett won with ease). Of course, today we don’t see a winner accepting every such scenario. Except, obviously, we do. As for Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, who will meet in a legal superfight this weekend, have agreed to bet their entire money on the match. Considering both men will make millions, it’s a legitimate case to put one’s money in their mouths.
Of course, if the bet – made when both fighters appeared on Kai Cenat’s live stream – proves to be legit.
The truth is that boxers tend to say and do extravagant things before big fights – and with good reason. Colorful antics attract attention, and attention eventually attracts attention through pay-per-view purchases. A high-profile promotion is not a quiet thing, and both boxers want to make waves here. If the bet proves to be legit, it could start a new trend – though that’s probably unlikely since we’re talking literally multi-million dollar wallets.
In fact, Davis, objectively speaking, made a wiser bet, as he was expected to win Saturday’s contest in Las Vegas. However, it’s hard to count Garcia hitting lightning hard and fast here. The man can turn off the light in a flash. Then again, so did Davis, whose undefeated record saw him stop all but two of his opponents at a distance. However, Garcia is nothing if not an extremely confident individual, and he seems to be maintaining that level of confidence ahead of the biggest game of his career.
Even if the all-bets winner proves to be more appealing than the steak, it’s great to see two top level boxers doing what they need to sell a match. One of the problems with modern boxing is the frequent approach of some promotions. In a world of UFC and WWE hype, boxing has to keep up. Davis and Garcia are young, famous, and media-savvy people who know how things should be done right now. Here’s hoping others will follow suit.
*image courtesy of DAZN
