“Ryan gave up.” Andy Ruiz and others criticized Garcia after the knockout loss. Are they fair?

By: Sean Crose

“Gervonta did what he had to do, man, he won the match, but I would pick Ryan. But you gave up, man. I feel like he gave up. I feel like he should have done what he had to do to win the war. When we come down, we have to get up. We had to ask God for that victory. But I feel like that’s what he should do. I still feel Ryan should do more than that. He should have risked his life more. He should have risked his life more.” Those words, from the mouths of former IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight Andy Ruiz, were spoken after Garcia was knocked out by a body blow from Gervonta Davis during their Saturday superfight.

Ruiz may have spoken in his temper, as he himself admitted that he had drawn Garcia. However, Ruiz isn’t the only notable boxer to criticize Garcia, who sobered up on one knee while he was counted this weekend. Former WBC cruiser class champion Tony Bellew was also unimpressed with Garcia’s failure to beat the count. “You have to stand up! Do it once and you will do it again! Bellew warned. Former IBF Welding Champion Ishe Smith was even more blunt. “He gave up,” Smith said of Garcia.

However, Garcia also has his defenders. Legendary broadcaster Al Bernstein announced on social media: “For anyone who thinks Ryan Garcia has given up. “I have something to say. He was knocked down early by a big boxer, got up and continued to fight for another 4 rounds. When he was hit by a debilitating shot, he was unable to continue. Stage. How to give up the equivalent? Bernstein makes a good point. It’s easy to criticize a fighter, especially if you’ve never entered the ring yourself. Plus, Ryan Garcia is the only person on earth who feels the bullet Davis landed on him, so only he may or may not be able to tell just how debilitated the shot was to him. .

Prominent fight journalist Mike Coppinger also moves in to protect Garcia. “Ryan Garcia doesn’t give up,” he argued, “far from doing it. He got up from his second round knockdown and was then paralyzed by a perfect liver shot from an elite boxer. Garcia is now back to 140th as the division’s biggest star, where even bigger battles await.