“Got to be something mental,” Ryan told Club Shay Shay. “It takes a lot to be away from the sport a long time and then get back into it. That’s why I like to stay active, and that’s why I feel my best right now. He’s been out of the ring so long, and the last outing wasn’t that good. It could be playing on his mind a little bit, and he doesn’t seem like he really loves the sport. It’s much different when you love the sport, and you just love the money.”
The proposed rematch would take place at welterweight without another rehydration restriction. Davis built most of his career at 130 and 135 pounds, making 147 a considerable concession rather than neutral ground.
A fully hydrated Ryan would bring greater size, reach, and left-hook power. The extra weight would not solve the defensive error that ended their first fight, however. Davis found the liver because Ryan raised his right elbow while attacking. Physical armor cannot replace protecting the body correctly.
The southpaw timing creates another unresolved test. Ryan carries his lead hand low and relies heavily on the left hook. Davis can draw that punch, slip outside it, and send his left hand through the open lane. Ryan needs more than additional pounds; he needs a jab-led attack that does not repeatedly expose him to Tank’s best counter.
The negotiating balance has changed since 2023. Davis dictated the weight and rehydration terms because he controlled the event. Ryan now owns enormous digital reach and remains one of the few opponents capable of delivering Tank another blockbuster purse. That commercial strength supports his demand for 147, although Davis can accuse him of designing a rematch on one-sided terms.
Such criticism of Tank’s hunger is ironic after Ryan’s own suspension, drinking, weight gain, and depression. He may be projecting his former problems onto Davis. Still, Roach removed some of Tank’s air of inevitability, and Ryan no longer sounds like a fighter approaching him with the same fear.
