Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz

[powerpuncher]

I’m still picking Santa Cruz as long as Tank comes in on weight.

[Fenster]

Teo came out with best quote after beating Loma - everyone wants to be Money Mayweather but forget he was pretty boy Floyd. Tank looks like an accident waiting to happen. Silk pajamas ~ Hagler.

Santa Cruz is made for Tank but if the size difference isn't too great, and he stays half-competitive early, the second half will be interesting.

[Dark Lord Al]

Santa Cruz is not an elite fighter, he is world class but not top draw.
Tank looks like all the money is affecting his prep for fights, maybe his desire is waning.

[powerpuncher]

Got this from Steve Kim’s Twitter (ESPN writer)

"We're going to make him drop as much as he can, if he's going to come in at 133, 134, we're going to make him drop as much as he can.

"But we're going to try to not let him be more than two pounds over."

That is from Santa Cruz

Not shocking at all and completely garbage of Tank if true. I won’t judge until he weighs in, but he had trouble making 135 in his last fight and now he is trying to make 130.

My prediction still stands. If Tank comes in on weight, Santa Cruz wins. If he purposely comes in over, he will win.

[Master]

‘I can be the next great fighter’: Gervonta Davis primed to emerge from Floyd Mayweather’s shadow

Gervonta Davis sinks down onto the stool in the corner of the ring after a gruelling round of pad work, sweat pouring from his brow. His mentor, the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr, conspicuous while keeping a watchful eye from the other side of the ropes.

As the piercing noise of the bell reverberates around the gym, ‘Tank’ leaps to his feet for more punishment. There’s now a realisation painted across his face that it is his time to emerge from the shadow of his master and seize the limelight in his pay-per-view debut on Saturday.

“I always wanted to be that top pound-for-pound fighter, I can be the next great fighter,” Davis tells The Independent ahead of his fight against Leo Santa Cruz, which will see world titles at lightweight and super featherweight on the line.

“There’s pressure [to fighting on pay-per-view], but it’s good pressure. I always wanted to be a pay-per-view star when I was growing up. I’m excited and grateful to have the chance to show the fans I have great skills.

“It’s about challenging my skills with my work ethic. Going somewhere I can focus just on boxing. That’s why I moved the camp from Baltimore to Vegas.

"I was doing great back home, and nobody could beat me then, so imagine how good I can be taking it even more seriously and coming here.”

Even by boxing’s standards, Davis’ story is astonishing. With his father in prison and mother battling drug addiction, he was taken from his home by child protection services at just five years old.

After bouncing between foster homes and shelters, Davis’ grandparents eventually gained custody and, crucially, boxing trainer Calvin Ford entered his life aged seven. Ford was beginning to see the light himself, following a 10-year stint in jail for drug offences.

Preventing Davis from the perils of West Baltimore, made famous by the hit series The Wire, they have forged “an unbreakable bond” together.

“Boxing helped save my life,” Davis insists. “The people I grew up with, they all got killed. I was fighting a lot as a new kid on the block. And one day my uncle saw me fighting and he wanted to challenge me to do something positive, so he took me to the gym.

"The love I got from the gym I wasn’t getting at home. So once I fell in love with the gym, I went all the time, I’d rush there from school.”

It’s therefore unsurprising to witness the excitement spill out from Davis as he unwinds at the opulent home throughout his camp, including a private basketball court, fire pit and swimming pool.

It continues to feed his hunger to make this lifestyle permanent, yet always conscious of his humble beginning and knowing, as Ford puts it, that he “came from the dirt”.

There is also a palpable respect between Ford and Mayweather. The former five-weight world champion can be seen meticulously tracking Davis’ punch statistics while Ford, now a spright 56, steps inside the eye of the tornado to absorb a barrage of shots on the pads.

Mayweather’s role is as vital as ever now that Tank has been given a taste of the extravagant lifestyle he pioneered for athletes.

“He’s not changed much,” Davis says of Mayweather’s involvement after joining him in Las Vegas. “But he’s more into it, he’s doing a great job here, he swings by the gym, checks on me. He’s way more involved.

“I’m on a big stage against a great opponent, he’s there to motivate me and feel more comfortable. He’s not trying to hold my hand, but be there for me while I take the next step.”

Davis has taken the next step as a person too, having matured as a result of his two-year-old daughter Gervanni. Her presence in his life has allowed him to reflect ahead of his prime years, aware of the need to transition from his tenacious instincts towards the silky defence that allowed Mayweather to prosper and emerge almost unblemished from the most brutal of sports.

“Being away from her for a long time, it’s made me sad,” Davis admits. “But I’m doing my job, I’m excited to get the win firstly, then get back to being a great father and give her the life I didn’t have. It’s definitely motivation.

“I definitely need to make the most money I can and if I’m not taking punishment then I can continue, but if I start to take punishment, I don’t want to mess myself up physically. I’d rather be able to take my girl to school, live my life with her.

“If I can stay in the game a long time then I will, but once I start taking punishment, I’ll walk away, it’s a warning to me.

“As I step up there will be more defence, as defence wins championships, going out there and doing what I have to do. It depends on the fighter too, against a stronger opponent I’d have to use more defensive skills.”

Stardom is tantalisingly close for Davis, who is comfortable in the company of superstars, beyond Mayweather, there’s friend and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the reigning MVP in the NFL.

“He tells me to stay focused,” Davis reveals. “We speak often on Instagram and feed off each other, give each other energy. We’re bringing greatness to the city.”

The gritty Santa Cruz, seldom willing to reject the invitation to exchange, brings a style likely to showcase Davis and the crisp, bludgeoning shots he can dish out with either hand.

Victory will propel him towards more mouthwatering fights. No more so than Teofimo Lopez, who sparred Davis during their formative years before upsetting Vasiliy Lomachenko two weeks ago to become the king at 135 pounds.

“He is a few years younger than me and I probably sparred six or more fighters on that day,” Davis recalls. “He was one of them. He was somebody I was able to move around with and I caught him heavy.

“It’s not surprising to me [that he became a world champion]. So if he can stay at 135, we can definitely meet, I want to fight the best and he’s definitely one of them. That’s a fight that excites me.”

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/nex...111454368.html

[imp]

Tank spends more time training to loose weight.

He needs a Floyd mindset.

He doesn’t seem to live the life.

[powerpuncher]

Now it looks like the weigh in is at noon the day before the fight and the fight will happen probably around 10 pm. Giving Tank quite a bit more time to balloon up and recover

[Master]

Now it looks like the weigh in is at noon the day before the fight and the fight will happen probably around 10 pm. Giving Tank quite a bit more time to balloon up and recover

That seems a tad unfair giving Davis that much advantage to get that weight back on and hydrate back up.

[Spicoli]

Davis..he's not a 'Tank' until he blows out someone he's not expected to..needed the 130-135 safety net and he'll probably still be sweating it off in a trash bag suit tomorrow. Riding with Santa Cruz to take the decision. He'll get rocked at some point but I think discipline and hustle win the day. Love the match up and looking forward to Prograis big time.

[Spicoli]

Now it looks like the weigh in is at noon the day before the fight and the fight will happen probably around 10 pm. Giving Tank quite a bit more time to balloon up and recover

That seems a tad unfair giving Davis that much advantage to get that weight back on and hydrate back up.

Silver spoons and pre anointments brother. Clear as day.

[Beanz]

Now it looks like the weigh in is at noon the day before the fight and the fight will happen probably around 10 pm. Giving Tank quite a bit more time to balloon up and recover

That seems a tad unfair giving Davis that much advantage to get that weight back on and hydrate back up.

Silver spoons and pre anointments brother. Clear as day.

If only they could get back to stacking the cards in an honest positive way.

[Fenster]

Tank looked gaunt in the face at the press conference. I doubt they'll be any shennagins with the weight.

Free on channel 5 in the UK.

[Master]

Leo Santa Cruz heads into Gervonta Davis bout missing key component to his success

Life, at least superficially, is great for Leo Santa Cruz. He holds a world title, the WBA super featherweight championship, the fourth division in which he’s been a champion. Previously, he owned title belts as a featherweight, a super bantamweight and a bantamweight.

He has a beautiful young daughter whom he obviously adores and dotes on constantly. The white Lamborghini he drives is evidence of the financial success he’s had in the boxing business.

But as he prepares to face Gervonta Davis on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, Showtime PPV) at the Alamodome in San Antonio for both his title and Davis’ WBA “regular” lightweight title, there is something missing.

He went through a portion of his training camp without his father, Jose, who had been hospitalized with a sepsis infection. Jose, who previously fought cancer, was replaced by Leo’s brother, Antonio, as his trainer.

The relationship between Leo and Jose has long been tight, and in 2016 when he lost his only pro fight to Carl Frampton, Jose was at home battling cancer.

Leo has a tattoo of his father on his upper left arm, a constant reminder of his motivation for fighting.

He’s nothing, though, if not an optimist, and he insists that despite the scares in camp, he’s primed for a brilliant performance in a career that has been filled with them.

He’s not often mentioned when the great fighters of his era are listed, but that’s more due to his humble and unassuming nature rather than a lack of talent. He’s 37-1-1 with 19 KOs, has won titles in four weight divisions and could add a fifth if he defeats Davis and captures the lightweight belt.

He’ll probably have to wait until after he retires and is elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame to be truly appreciated.

Ever the happy warrior, he is not concerned about Davis possibly missing weight — given two belts are at stake, the fighters have to make the lighter weight, at 130, for it to be for both — or his father’s absence. He’s been at it long enough that he’s learned how to separate the personal from the professional.

“I feel really great,” he said. “This camp has been perfect. I feel strong and I’m very motivated. My Dad and my brothers have been helping me out. It’s really the best camp I've had and I’m in the best shape of my career.”

Santa Cruz adjusting to Davis’ size

He’ll need to be in the best shape he’s been in, because he’s never fought anyone like Davis, who is 23-0 with 22 knockouts and possesses that rare kind of power that can stop a man dead in his tracks with one punch.

Promoter Leonard Ellerbe acknowledged Davis’ power, but insisted anyone who thinks Davis will simply run over Santa Cruz is badly misguided.

“Leo has fought everyone and when has anyone ever done that to him?” Ellerbe asked rhetorically. “This fight is one that Leo wanted. He knows what Tank is all about and he thinks he can take advantage of him and beat him.”

Santa Cruz has excelled in the toe-to-toe slugfests that bring the fans out of their seats, and back to see him compete time after time. Against Davis, though, that’s a dangerous proposition because all it takes is one shot for the entire complexion of the fight to change.

To that end, Santa Cruz has brought in welterweights to spar with so he has a sense of the power he’ll be in for on Saturday.

“We have to fight from the outside because we know that Tank can hit,” said Santa Cruz, who is at his best at a distance but can be effective inside hooking to the body and throwing uppercuts to the head. “But I always try to give the fans a great fight, so there’s going to be times I’m going to brawl with him. We’re going to go back and forth. If I feel like I can take his punches, I’m going to be right in his face.”

Being busy and in his face could be a good thing, because Santa Cruz would be scoring. But it risks getting caught with a counter shot and the public perception is that Davis is not only the hard puncher, but the physically bigger guy.

But Antonio Santa Cruz said his brother has adjusted well to the heavier weight and he’s not concerned.

“Leo has brought his power up in weight with him,” Antonio said. “When he hits the mitts, I can feel the increased strength that he has. I think it’s going to help him in the ring because Gervonta is going to have to respect that power. Gervonta is a knockout artist, but of course I believe that Leo can take him.

“Leo is smart and so dedicated. He has the extra motivation in seeing our father still here fighting through his cancer. He see how strong he’s fighting and knows he can be strong enough to be Gervonta.”

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/leo...220424001.html

[powerpuncher]

Looks like Tank actually made weight. That’s impressive. Didn’t think he would pull it off.

This means that Santa Cruz wins. He will have too much stamina. Also, he has a solid chin. I don’t see Tank blowing him out early. No way Tank wins the later rounds

[TIC]

tank is going to fuck up leo