GERVONTA "TANK" DAVIS and Ryan Garcia stood face to face last month in Times Square, a rare -- and unexpected -- sight for myriad reasons.
Years and years of fighting words on social media had actually led to signed contracts for a real fight inside the ring, an occurrence far too seldom the norm in the increasingly fractured boxing business.
This matchup pits two of the sport's top stars, undefeated fighters under the age of 30, who carry vastly different fan bases -- many of whom don't typically watch boxing.
Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) hails from Baltimore and for a long time enjoyed the imprimatur of Floyd Mayweather along with all the celebrities from the hip-hop industry and sports world that accompany such an association.