Gervonta Davis Blows Out Hugo Ruiz and Undercard Observations
Gervonta Davis stepped back into the ring after nearly a year on the shelf on a cold February night in Carson, California. Despite the cold day with rain in the forecast, it being so cold that the fighter’s breath was visible, half of the main event pulling out, and Davis himself dealing with a cold during fight week, the event went down spectacularly and Gervonta Davis returns to his rightful position as the guy who’s got “next”.
Davis only needed one round to get rid of Hugo Ruiz. A straight left-hand shattered Ruiz’s nose and a right hook that snuck around Ruiz’s glove forced him to take a knee. Ruiz got up and swayed back and forth without responding to referee Jack Reiss’s requests forced the fight to be called. Some may question whether the fight was stopped early, but the result seemed inevitable. For all the ring rust that might have been there, Davis looks as explosive as ever. His shots reverberated throughout the raucous outdoor arena. It was clear Davis had no intention of this fight lasting more than a few rounds.
With this performance it is starting to crystallize why Floyd Mayweather has coveted Davis over the past several years. Davis shows all the signs and symptoms of a star. In the ring he’s an incredible sight. He’s small in stature, but his athleticism is perhaps untouched in the world of boxing. His combination of power, speed, and surgical precision added to his choice of stalking and looking to hurt opponents is the making of a star in boxing.
But it doensn’t stop there. Davis looks like he can be a star outside of boxing. The evidence is in the celebrities who showed up to the small outdoor arena in Carson to watch Davis fight. Drake, Lil Wayne, and Odell Beckham Jr are just a few of the names that were in attendance to watch Davis do his thing. The other evidence is a simple one. Davis is polarizing, and while there is certainly no shortage of polarizing fighters in the sport of boxing, where Davis takes it to the next level is in his ability to illicit responses.
Whether fans love or hate Davis, there is a some response. Very often fans can become apathetic, but that’s not the case with Davis. Everyone in attendance at the newly named Dignity Health Sports Park was making noise for Davis whether liked him or not. Hugo Ruiz is a little known Mexican fighter, yet those in attendance who were there to see Davis lose turned Ruiz into Abner Mares-lite with the way they supported him. That wasn’t because Ruiz is a fan favorite. That’s all Davis.
If Davis continues to get these reactions and keep people talking, he will grow beyond the confines of boxing stardom.
5 Potential Moves For Davis
Floyd Mayweather said that Davis will return most likely in May. The plan is for him to face Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition in April and then return in May. So with that in mind:
- Javier Fortuna — This is the logical move if Davis wants to move up to 135. Fortuna is not going to enter as a favorite, but he’s had several years in the spotlight. Very few have looked spectacular against Fortuna who has an odd combination of skills to go with punching power. A win over Fortuna increases Davis’s stock.
- Winner of Omar Douglas vs Lee Selby — These guys fight later this month on the DeGale vs Eubank undercard. Neither guy would enter as even a close underdog against Davis, but would be solid wins for him.
- Fight his WBA mandatory — Who that would be isn’t clear, but getting a mandatory out of the way paves the way for him to fight someone of his choice in the future. Fighting a mandatory won’t be terribly inspiring. Rene Alvarado is the number 1 ranked at super featherweight by the WBA and has had a nice run over the past year.
- Tevin Farmer — There’s known bad blood with Farmer and this would be an interesting one. Sorting out the network would be a big ordeal, but it would be a nice win for Davis to unify titles.
- Jhack Tepora — Tepora was supposed to get the Hugo Ruiz fight but couldn’t make weight. If moving up is what he wants to do and he’s as promising of a prospect as we think, then maybe fighting Davis at 130 is a good move for his career. It’s a high risk-high reward move that probably won’t happen, but it would be a smart move for Davis’s future.
Undercard Observations
Mario Barrios is ready for the world level
Barrios stopped Richard Zamora isn’t going to set the world on fire. Zamora wasn’t exactly Jose Ramirez or Regis Prograis in there, but here’s the thing to take away. Barrios is peaking exactly the way you want to see a prospect. At 23, he’s getting better with every fight. A year ago Barrios did not look like this. He wasn’t as strong of a puncher, nor as clever with his offense. Things are coming together and Barrios could be the lynchpin of a budding super lightweight stable for PBC.
Javier Fortuna wins a decision against Sharif Bogere
The fight itself wasn’t thrilling. In fact, the first 6 rounds were completely forgettable with each guy taking turns leading the action while the other tried their hardest to make sure no punches could even get thrown because of holding. After 10 rounds of headbutts and a couple of nice exchanges, Javier Fortuna came out on top and for some reason wants to fight Gervonta Davis.
Erickson Lubin returns to form
Erickson Lubin becomes the first to stop Ishe Smith. Unfortunately, this fight won’t do much in determining where Lubin is in his return following his loss to Jermell Charlo. Smith looked every bit his age. Beating a 40-year-old doesn’t do much, but it’s a step in the right direction for Lubin to get back to the top.
Juan Heraldez stops Eddie Ramirez in 7
Heraldez has come on out of nowhere and while he’s still a few fights away from being considered a bonafide super lightweight contender, he’s a nice addition to the fray. He’s a defensive-minded fighter with good enough punching power to keep guys honest. It looks like Heraldez could be fed to Barrios at some point in the next 12 months and that’s fine. It would be a really good fight and clashing of styles.
Maurice Lee and Lennard Davis steal the show
This fight wasn’t televised, but was an absolute roller coaster of emotions. Both guys were hurt multiple times in the first 2 rounds. Each guy got up off the deck. This fight was something out of a movie. It ended in an appropriate draw where neither guy really showed he was better than the other.
