LAS VEGAS – In a battle of undefeated superstars within the primes of their careers, Gervonta “Tank” Davis stopped “King” Ryan Garcia with a fierce physique shot in spherical seven of their light-weight showdown that headlined a SHOWTIME PPV manufacturing Saturday night time from T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas in an occasion offered by Premier Boxing Champions.
“All the pieces about this was thrilling,” mentioned Davis. “I used to be excited to be part of this occasion. I keep in mind developing within the Golden Gloves and seeing Floyd Mayweather struggle at MGM Grand. It was loopy. I truly simply noticed Rihanna carry out on the Tremendous Bowl, and I assumed, ‘that’s going to be me sooner or later.’ And we’re right here. The truth positively matches the dream. However the job isn’t completed till I retire, so I’m going to maintain my head down, keep humble and proceed to work.”
“I’m good,” mentioned Garcia. “‘Tank’ is a superb fighter. I take my hat off to him. I do know we talked quite a lot of trash main into the struggle, however he is aware of what it’s. It’s all love on the finish of the day. I used to be honored to be within the ring with an ideal fighter and I respect him rather a lot. You understand how the enterprise goes. However I need to say to ‘Tank’, you’re an excellent man.”
After years of build-up, two of boxing’s most enjoyable and standard fighters went toe-to-toe in entrance of a sold-out crowd of 20,842, with the three-time, five-division champion Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) rising victorious after touchdown a robust straight left hand to the physique that brought about a delayed response from Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) and finally noticed him take a knee.
“I didn’t assume that physique shot would finish it, however I noticed his facial features and that’s what made me take it to him,” mentioned Davis. “It was an excellent shot, for positive. I assumed he was going to stand up however I prefer to play thoughts video games, so when he was me, I used to be him making an attempt to inform him, ‘stand up!’ And he simply shook his head, no.”
“He simply caught me with an excellent shot,” mentioned Garcia. “I don’t need to make any excuses in right here. He caught me with an excellent shot and I simply couldn’t recuperate and that’s it. He caught me with an excellent physique shot, snuck underneath me and caught me good. I couldn’t breathe. I used to be going to get again up, however I simply couldn’t stand up.”
As referee Thomas Taylor carried out his depend, Garcia tried to rise to his ft however was in seen ache and was counted out at 1:44 within the spherical. It marked 4 consecutive knockouts for Davis, who owns the WBA Light-weight Title along with previous conquests at tremendous featherweight and tremendous light-weight.
Following a cautious first spherical, it was Garcia who pushed the envelope first, blitzing Davis early in spherical two as he sought to land his signature energy left hook. Nonetheless, Davis shortly turned the tide, ducking underneath a left hook and returning fireplace with a robust left hook of his personal that put Garcia down. Though Garcia rose to his ft, he hardly ever was as aggressive following the primary knockdown.
“The primary knockdown was simply him not realizing his placement,” mentioned Davis. “I knew that I used to be the smaller man, and my coach was telling me in camp that he’s going to give you his head up, so simply shoot excessive.”
“I believe I ought to have pressured him a bit more durable close to the ropes,” mentioned Garcia. “I used to be giving him a bit bit an excessive amount of respect and I believe that was my downfall. I believe I gave him a bit an excessive amount of respect within the ring.”
The physique photographs that finally ended the bout had been an necessary software for Davis, who in line with CompuBox landed 18 punches to the physique all through the struggle. Each fighters landed a powerful share of energy punches, with Davis connecting on 48% and Garcia at 42%. On the time of the stoppage, Davis led on all three playing cards, with tallies of 59-55, 59-56 and 58-56, and declared himself the brand new face of the game.
“I’m positively the face of boxing,” mentioned Davis. “Completely!”
Within the co-main occasion, WBA Tremendous Middleweight Champion David Morrell Jr. (9-0, 8 KOs) delivered a dominant first-round knockout over Olympic Bronze Medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (24-2-1, 10 KOs) to retain his title.
“I’m so excited,” mentioned Morrell. “This was an enormous second and an enormous night time for me, so a knockout within the first spherical is unbelievable. I believe that is one of the best second of my profession tonight. It was an enormous occasion and I had an excellent fighter in entrance of me.”
The 25-year-old Cuban phenom made fast work of the normally sturdy Falcao, who had by no means been stopped and hadn’t been knocked down since 2018. After wobbling him early, Morrell scored his first knockdown with a proper hook that compelled Falcao to carry onto the ropes, prompting referee Celestino Ruiz to rule the knockdown.
Whereas Falcao was in a position to rise to his ft, Morrell sensed his second and delivered an much more highly effective proper hook that despatched Falcao crashing to the mat, with the referee instantly waiving the depend 2:22 into the spherical.
As he did within the pre-fight construct up, Morrell continued to name for an intriguing tremendous middleweight conflict towards unbeaten two-time tremendous middleweight champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez. The potential showdown between the 26-year-old Benavidez and Morrell would pit two of the division’s prime contenders and thrilling younger action-fighters towards one another in a matchup of unbeatens.
“David Benavidez is subsequent,” mentioned Morrell. “The place is he? I need to struggle Benavidez. He’s subsequent, 100%. I don’t need some other guys at 168-pounds. Simply Benavidez. I respect Benavidez and his staff, however contained in the ring, I don’t respect something.”
Further motion on the pay-per-view noticed tremendous middleweight contender Bektemir Melikuziev (12-1, 9 KOs) avenge the one lack of his profession as he battered veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-17-1, 15 KOs) on his technique to a unanimous determination victory. Melikuziev cruised on the judges’ playing cards, successful by the tally of 99-91 thrice.
“Within the first struggle towards Rosado, I underestimated my opponent,” mentioned Melikuziev. “This time, we put the work in throughout camp. We went by every part. This time, the objective was to showcase my expertise, field and punish him as a lot as doable too.”
Of their first assembly in 2021, Rosado stopped the then unbeaten Melikuziev in his tracks with a sensational one-punch KO. Within the rematch, Melikuziev was in a position to keep away from a repeat misstep and managed the bout all through, out touchdown Rosado in each spherical.
“I attempted, however I used to be a step behind,” mentioned Rosado. “’Father Time’, eighteen years as a professional, however I used to be recreation. I walked to him, I boxed him, I attempted every part however I used to be a step too gradual. ” was a split-second behind. He’s recent, he’s younger and I’m blissful for him. I knocked him out dangerous within the first struggle and he made changes.”
Melikuziev appeared to have his opponent harm in spherical 5 when a straight left wobbled Rosado and almost despatched him into the ropes. Rosado had extra success within the second half of the struggle, however took an excessive amount of punishment on his technique to making an attempt to shut the gap.
The 27-year-old from Uzbekistan held a large margin on energy punches landed (129-31) and held Rosado to only a 17% join price. After the struggle, Melikuziev relished in making up for his lone defeat, whereas Rosado said his intentions on retiring after an extended profession.
“This was the struggle that I wished,” mentioned Melikuziev. “That is the struggle that I felt like I made a mistake within the first one, and I had this chance for revenge on such an enormous card. It’s a pleasure for me.”
“I don’t make any excuses,” mentioned Rosado. “I used to be prepared. Now it’s time to wrap it up and provides my information to youthful fighters with administration and coaching. I need to share my expertise with them, and perhaps do some extra commentating.”
Within the pay-per-view opener, thrilling middleweight Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KOs) grinded out a unanimous determination victory over Kevin Salgado (15-2-1, 10 KOs) after 10 rounds of motion. The 19-year-old Garcia received by scores of 95-94 and 97-92 twice.
“It feels nice to get this win on an enormous stage,” mentioned Garcia. “I really feel like I’m getting higher with every struggle. I do know I’ve an extended technique to go, however I like the place I’m at. I’m hoping to get proper again within the ring quickly.”
“I felt like I received,” mentioned a pissed off Salgado post-fight. “By a small margin, however I ought to have received.”
Mexico’s Salgado received off to a robust begin within the first three rounds, breaking by Garcia’s protection and busting Garcia’s nostril to take management of the early motion. Late in spherical 5, Garcia began to search out spots for his energy photographs and was stronger defensively, holding Salgado beneath a 40% join price for every of the remaining rounds after Salgado hit that mark in every of the primary three.
“I used to be standing a bit too nonetheless making an attempt to struggle on the within,” mentioned Garcia. “Salgado is a troublesome opponent. He was actual robust, actual robust and I simply needed to transfer and field a bit bit. Apart from that, it was an excellent, onerous 10 rounds. I give my opponent one hundred pc props.”
In spherical six, Garcia linked on a robust straight left hand that pushed Salgado again and appeared to probably harm him earlier than he was saved by the bell. Salgado returned in spherical seven to focus on Garcia’s physique, however was finally deducted some extent by referee Robert Hoyle after a number of warnings earlier within the struggle.
“I’m upset as a result of I felt like this was a very good struggle,” mentioned Salgado. “The referee stored getting in my means. I received some extent deducted from me however didn’t say something when Garcia hit me behind the top. It felt like swimming towards the present. Mexicans at all times come to struggle towards everybody and every part: The judges, the opponent, the refs, the house followers. None of that received in my technique to preserve me from transferring ahead.”
The punch stats mirrored Salgado’s early lead as he held an 81-70 benefit in energy punches landed by six rounds, with the ultimate tally ending almost even (139-138 for Salgado). Total, Garcia out-landed Salgado in 5 of the final six rounds to clinch the victory and proceed to construct into his contender standing at a younger age.
“I simply must proceed getting higher within the health club each single day,” mentioned Garcia. “That’s what it’s about. I realized rather a lot at this time. It was my first time going previous six rounds and I received the complete 10. Fights like this may get me nearer to a world title.”
Previous to the telecast, motion streaming reside on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing® Fb web page was topped by rising middleweight contender Fiodor Czerkaszyn (22-0, 14 KOs) dominating Elias Espadas (22-6, 15 KOs) on his technique to a ninth-round TKO. Touchdown large energy photographs all through the motion, Czerkasyn wore Espadas down and finally compelled referee Mike Ortega to leap in and cease the struggle 2:07 into the ninth-round.
The streaming presentation additionally noticed sensational tremendous welterweight prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. (15-1, 10 KOs) rating a vicious fourth-round knockout over Jose Charles (20-4-1, 12 KOs). After placing Charles on the canvas twice in spherical three, Mielnicki landed an ideal counter proper early in spherical 4 that despatched Charles crashing to the mat and prompted referee Robert Hoyle to wave off the motion 33 seconds into the body.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Govt Author, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a ardour for Fight Sports activities and in addition a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s additionally a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
