Former world champions Tony Bellew and Andy Ruiz felt Ryan Garcia could have continued in Saturday’s loss to Gervonta Davis.
On Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Davis knocked out Garcia in the seventh round.
The 24-year-old Garcia was down in the second from a right hand counter shot, and then went down from a heavy body shot in the seventh.
When the body shot landed, Garcia grimaced in pain, and then went down to a knee for the full count.
Bellew believes Garcia has the skills and physical attributes to be one of the best fighters at his weight. If Garcia uses his attributes properly, Bellew sees him being a dangerous force in the years to come.
“Spewed it! “Yes they really hurt [those body shots], but you’ve gotta rise! Do it once [where you stay down] and you’ll do it again! The attributes Garcia has are amazing! He’s the quickest and one of the biggest fighters in the division yet he lets people get to him! If he uses them gifts he has properly then I swear he’d be almost impossible to beat! Amir [Khan] had similar attributes! Stay away [and] box,” Bellew stated on social media.
Ruiz was backing Garcia to win the fight.
He felt the now once-beaten star packed it in.
“I was going for Ryan, but he gave up, man. I feel like he gave up. I feel like he should’ve did what he had to do to win the fight. When we get down, we’ve got to get back up, man. We’ve got to ask God for that victory. I feel like that’s what he should’ve done, I still feel Ryan should’ve did more, man. He should’ve risked his life more,” Ruiz stated to his followers.