Gervonta 'Tank' Davis is an exceptional fighter, a pound-for-pound contender in my eyes. He just needs to be in better fights.
Rolando Romero thinks he meets that criteria this weekend at New York’s Barclays Centre. He might be in for a rude awakening. Davis is only five feet, five-and-half inches tall. But he is a real athlete, an explosive, powerful puncher who makes that extra half inch count in devastating fashion.
His surly attitude might not a selling-point, but for me he is very special. He should be the fighter everybody is talking about. For that to happen he needs to be winning that genuine WBA lightweight title, not the dumbed down regular version
George Kambosos defends the real WBA belt against Devon Haney next weekend. It’s a no brainer that Davis should meet the winner. For me he beats them all at lightweight; Haney, Kambosos, Ryan Garcia, Vasyl Lomachenko. That’s an easy statement to make but I stand by it. However, you can only prove greatness in great fights.
I love Davis’s speed and the fact he has lights-out power. He is not afraid of bigger guys. He went from 130 to 140 pounds to beat the undefeated Mario Barrios. Only two opponents have taken Davis the distance, Isaac Cruz last time out and German Meraz in a 2014 six-rounder 18 months into his pro career.
He fights guys no-one wants to touch. In three straight bouts in 2017 he took the 0s from Jose Pedraza, Liam Walsh and Francisco Fonseca. Romero is tough with a big dig but this is early in his journey, only his 15th fight, and he has not faced anyone in the class of Davis.
Is Gervonta Davis boxing's next pound-for-pound superstar? Have your say in the comments!
Romero has done 12 rounds only once and beyond that has never been further than the seventh round. Davis is a southpaw with a great jab as well as knockout power. Once he realised he wasn’t going to get Cruz out of there, Davis took the technical route to a decision.
There are times when he goes quiet in the ring, but he is always looking for that one powerful shot, and can land anytime from the first to the last round.
Romero is attractive to watch, a good talker, a box-office kid but he is entering the fast lane in Brooklyn. He will discover that soon enough against a fighter who has the tools not only to dominate the lightweight division but to become a superstar of the sport.
Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @McGuigans_Gym
