Gervonta Davis is the WBA Secondary Lightweight Champion of the world. He put a brutal beating on Yuriorkis Gamboa to win the belt in the twelfth round at the State Farm Arena. It’s a massive moment for Davis who will be hoping to break out as a massive star in 2020. But he ended this year with a definite bang.
Davis is well-known as Floyd Mayweather’s protege, even if the truth is that their relationship has frequently been tense. A power-puncher, the Baltimore native is one of the most exciting young boxers on the planet. He was a super-bantamweight champion before he was stripped on the scale. Now he’s got his hands on a lightweight strap which could lead to some very interesting match-ups.
We’re looking at you Vasily Lomachenko. ‘Loma’ is one of three best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now (Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez being the other two). He holds the WBA Super Lightweight title, so a unification bout should be next. But don’t get too excited, because boxing politics will probably stop this.
https://twitter.com/Bzr924/status/1211152655147511809
Tough Fight
You’ve got to give Gamboa credit because he proved to be a tough customer. Despite getting battered in the early rounds, he came back when Davis started to gas. The extra weight definitely was a slight issue for the younger fighter. But he landed savage knockdowns in rounds two and eight to set himself on the path to victory. The finish came by way of a vicious left uppercut in the 12th round. Davis respected his opponent. After the fight he said:
“Coming to this fight, I knew that Gamboa was a tough opponent. Everybody was writing him off but I knew he was a vet. As you could see in the ring, I was catching him but he was still alert. I knew he was different from any opponent I have fought before as he fought Terence Crawford.”
Tank Throwing BOMBS 💣
Gervonta Davis puts Gamboa down on the mat again after a flurry in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/MGrbSoBANM
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) December 29, 2019
C+
However, the Baltimore native wasn’t totally happy with his performance. He acknowledges that the weight was a slight issue but only because the fight was at relatively short notice. In the future, he will be more physically prepared so that he won’t get tired.
“I believe my performance tonight was a C+,” Davis said. “[The weight] wasn’t really a problem it was just short timing and things like that. I blame myself and I don’t blame anyone around me. I blame myself and am continuing to learn.”
Tank Throwing BOMBS 💣
Gervonta Davis puts Gamboa down on the mat again after a flurry in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/MGrbSoBANM
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) December 29, 2019
Big Year
The question is what comes next for Davis? He’s the only fighter to draw attendances of plus 12000 in four different US cities in 2019. In short, he’s proven that he’s a massive draw and he lives like a star. The opportunity is there for him to capitalise on that, but you’re only as good as your record. The Lomachenko fight obviously makes sense, but this is boxing so that’s why it won’t happen.
Meanwhile, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez are all unlikely to happen for a variety of scheduling and political reasons in 2020. No, it’s more likely that he fights four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz. Detractors would still criticise this, but he would be the best opponent that Davis has fought so far. Davis said:
“2020 is going to be a big year. I’m the top dog. As you know, there’s no safety on this glock so bring them on.”
