Ryan Garcia took a knee after a crisp Gervonta Davis body shot in Las Vegas this past weekend, and former two-weight world champion, Carl Frampton, believes it was a conscious decision to get out of there.
Frampton, who found glory in both the super bantamweight and featherweight divisions before calling time on a 31 fight career, is the latest to deliver his analysis on the Las Vegas event that delivered on the hype but was a little one-sided in the ring.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Frampton said he was disappointed with Garcia’s hesitancy after he was knocked down early.
“I was a bit disappointed in Garcia and how he approached the fight. Not a lot happened in the first round, but it looked like he was having a decent second round and he walked into a good shot and got dropped.
He just looked really hesitant from that point. He didn’t want to engage.”
The fighter turned analyst then pointed out that there was a stark difference between being unable to get up rather than unwilling.
“And then at the end, the knee was just disappointing for me. I know what it’s like to take body shots. It’s a horrible sensation. But when you take a real body shot, you don’t have a decision to make. You’re involuntarily on the floor, rolling around, it’s severe, excruciating pain.
Ryan Garcia’s on his knee looking at the referee, and I think he’s gonna get up at eight or nine. And he stays on his knee, and then he stands up as the count reaches ten.”
Asked if he considered Ryan Garcia to have quit, Frampton said yes.
“He made a conscious decision ‘I don’t want any more of this’ – and I understand he may have been in a bit of pain, but I didn’t like it. He quit, that’s the top and bottom.”
Garcia told the broadcast post-fight that he was struggling to breath. In the press conference that followed, he was humble in defeat and congratulated ‘Tank’ on his victory, confirming that he would move up to 140lb next.