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Gervonta Davis Wins WBA Lightweight World Title With
Thrilling 12th Round KO Of Yuriorkis Gamboa
Photos: Amanda Westcott - SHOWTIME
Undefeated two-time super featherweight world champion
Gervonta “Tank” Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) successfully moved
up to 135 pounds and won the WBA Lightweight Title with
a 12th round knockout of former unified champion
Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-3, 18 KOs) Saturday night live on
SHOWTIME in front of 14,129 fans from the award-winning
State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Baltimore’s Davis further cemented his status as one of
boxing’s most must-watch attractions, delivering knockdowns
in rounds two and eight before delivering the final blow in
round 12. Davis’ trademark left-hand was on display all
night, causing all three knockdowns including a devastating
uppercut in the final round that closed the show in style
and brought the fans in a raucous State Farm arena to their
feet.
The power-punching southpaw landed on 48 percent of his
power punches and established overall leads of 120-78 in
overall punches, 27-9 in jabs and 93-69 in power. Davis’
excellent defense was also on display as Gamboa was only
able to connect on 13 percent of his punches, including just
3 percent of his jabs.
The 38-year-old Gamboa, who was severely hampered early on
by what he believes to be a ruptured Achilles tendon that
occurred just before the second-round knockdown, showed
tremendous heart and resilience to survive what looked like
multiple knockout blows from the 25-year-old Davis.
“Coming into this fight I knew Gamboa was a tough opponent,”
said Davis, who went past the ninth round for the first time
in his career. “I knew he was a vet. As you see in the ring,
I was catching and hurting him but he was still there. I
knew he was better than anyone I had fought before. I was
mainly focused on catching him with clean shots. I was
catching him with clean shots and wasn’t hurting him, so I
knew I was in for rounds tonight.”
When asked by SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray to grade his own
performance, Davis replied with “C-plus.”
“It was a great experience. I’m only 25 years old. I’m
learning each and every day. 2020 will be a big year. I feel
comfortable at both weights. I feel I could fight at 130 or
135. I’m the top dog. Bring ‘em on.”
“I feel OK, but I think I ruptured my Achilles tendon before
I fell in the second round,” said Gamboa. “I’m a warrior and
I kept going, but as soon as I felt it I knew it was
ruptured. I couldn’t put pressure on it. I wanted to keep
going. I told my corner it was a problem but I wanted to
keep going because I’m a warrior. I’m going to keep going.
135 is my weight. I want to stay there.”
In an action-packed and entertaining co-featured bout in
which both fighters went down, Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs)
defended his WBA Light Heavyweight Title with a
split-decision victory over two-division champion Badou Jack
(22-3-3, 13 KOs), much to the dismay of a pro-Jack crowd at
State Farm Arena. The judges scored the fight 114-112 in
favor of Pascal twice, and 114-112 in favor of Jack once.
Fought at a blazing pace from the opening bell, the bout was
a tale of two halves. Pascal led 50-44 on all three
scorecards after five rounds and controlled much of the
fight’s first half as he started quickly and scored a
fourth-round knockdown. Jack, who went down for the fourth
time in his career, was caught on the temple by a massive
overhand right that sent him stumbling to the canvas.
However, Sweden’s Jack finished the fight strongly,
out-landing Pascal 141-76 in overall punches and 134-121 in
power punches. He capped off what he thought would be a
victorious fight with a devastating four-punch barrage that
knocked down Pascal for just the second time in his career
in the 12th round. Jack finished the fight with advantages
of 244-155 in overall punches landed, including 120-35 in
jabs and 124-120 on power punches. Jack was also the more
accurate puncher (39 percent to 28 percent overall) but
Pascal’s punches hurt Jack at the end of several rounds.
Both fighters put in an extraordinary performance,
particularly in the 12th round, a late contender for round
of the year, as Pascal and Jack both looked to close the
show until the final bell. When asked about a possible
rematch, Pascal and Jack both expressed an interest.
“I won this fight, it was a close fight but I won it,” said
the 37-year-old Pascal. “Badou is a great fighter but no one
can say he was robbed. I won that fight. I’m the champ. I
think I was in control the whole fight. I kept the middle of
the ring most of the time. Badou is a great fighter, but I
won the fight.
“I can finish every round very strong. I’m a strong,
pressure fighter. Badou – thanks for the fight. I know the
crowd enjoyed the show. I’ll do the rematch any time”
“Of course I feel I won the fight, but it is what it is,”
said Jack, who has now had six of his last eight fights end
in draws, split decisions or majority decisions. “He’s got a
hell of a chin, he’s a tough warrior and I want to thank him
for the opportunity. I thought I was winning but maybe I’m
wrong. I would love a rematch.”
“I think he caught me up here (on top of head),” he said
when asked by Gray about the fourth-round knockdown. “I
didn’t really see the punch. I wasn’t that hurt but it was a
good punch.”
In the telecast opener, Lionell Thompson (22-5, 12 KOs) made
his debut at 168 pounds in phenomenal fashion, upsetting
former IBF titlist Jose Uzcátegui (29-4, 24 KOs) with a
decisive unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight
95-94 and 96-92 twice.
Thompson, who had campaigned as a light heavyweight his
entire career, overcame a cut over his right eye in the
third round and a point deduction for holding in the fourth.
He scored the fight’s only knockdown in the first round,
landing a textbook one-two combination that floored the
Venezuelan Uzcátegui for the fifth time in his career.
Thompson was the far more accurate puncher, holding
advantages of 32 percent to 19 percent in overall punches
and 32 percent to 13 percent in jabs. The Buffalo, N.Y.
native also out-landed Uzcátegui in nine of the ten rounds
including an overall advantage of 80-21 connected jabs.
“Moving down to 168 (pounds), I was a little worried for my
first fight but I felt great,” said the 34-year-old
Thompson. “I still had the power at this weight and I hurt
him a few times. This is my weight class now and I think I
have a real chance at becoming super middleweight champion
and putting my city on the map as the first world champion
from Buffalo.”
“I thought the decision was fair,” said the 29-year-old
Uzcátegui, who has now dropped two of his last three fights.
“I don't want to make any excuses. He came to fight. The
distance from my last fight definitely showed. I was very
rusty. I need to get back in the gym train harder and
hopefully get another fight in the next few months.”
Preceding the telecast, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
COUNTDOWN featured two ShoBox: The New Generation alums
recording impressive wins in undercard attractions streamed
live on the SHOWTIME Sports social platforms. Malik Hawkins
(18-0, 11 KOs), a rising super lightweight prospect out of
Baltimore, defeated previously unbeaten Darwin Price (16-1,
9 KOs) via fifth-round TKO.
Both fighters showed glimpses of their potential throughout
the five rounds before Price suffered a right knee injury
and was unable to continue. The 30-year-old Price pulled up
limping after taking an awkward step, and Hawkins closed in
on him looking for the finish. After referee Brian Stutts
broke the action up, Price informed Stutts he was unable to
continue, handing Hawkins the win.
The opening streaming bout saw undefeated prospect Angelo
Leo (19-0, 9 KOs) stop Cesar Juarez (25-8, 19 KOs) to pick
up the most impressive win of his career and put himself in
position to fight for a world title in the near future.
In the IBF 122-pound Title Eliminator, Leo knocked down
Juarez three separate times before picking up the TKO
victory at 1:12 of round number 11. The finishing blow was a
vicious right hand and while Juarez beat the count, referee
Jim Korb waved the fight off.
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