With one quick left hand to the face of Rolando Romero, Davis closed the show Saturday night, at Barclays Center.
BROOKLYN- If you’re a casual boxing fan, just getting familiar with Gervonta Davis, welcome to the party.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 18,970, Davis gave everyone the performance they were expecting to see.
Romero spent a good portion of the pre-fight buildup doing plenty of talking. His mouth wrote a handful of checks that fans were eager to see if his body could cash.
And for a good portion of this fight, Romero was impressive. He showed poise in the early rounds, picking his spots when to pursue Davis. He pawned his jab effectively while showing his punching power a few times.
However, while Romero began to crank up his pursuit, Davis was finding his groove. It began to become clear in the fourth round, he was beginning to figure Romero out.
With 21 seconds left in the sixth round, Davis capitalized on an increasingly impatient Romero with a thunderous left-hand counter. Romero went face-first into the rope before ending up on his butt in the corner — dazed and confused — temporarily humbled.
Romero beat the count but the referee saw what we all did. The unsteady legs were more than enough reason to stop the fight.
Give Romero (14-1, 12 KOs) his credit — he talked a great game. He has the gift of gab, a required skill for putting asses in seats. Moreover, he’s a talented fighter. While coming into this fight as a heavy underdog, Romero proved to be more of a serious threat to Davis than anticipated. He’s a name the casual boxing fan should keep bookmarked for future fights.
But he’s not “Tank” Davis — no matter how much he’ll try to convince you otherwise.
Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) showed why he’s one of the sport’s elite fighters. He can talk the talk and has the talent — along with a devastating left hand — to walk the walk.
The star appeal is most certainly there with him . Saturday night, at Barclays, Madonna was ringside. Michael Strahan and Tracy Morgan were also in attendance.
Scroll through your Instagram and/or Twitter app and see various media personalities and professional athletes posting about his performance.
This isn’t new for Davis, he’s been drawing this type of attention for awhile now. From Los Angeles, to Las Vegas, to Brooklyn — he has shown why he’s a box-office athlete. Watching him fight is worth money spent on a ticket. So is the $74.99, Showtime PPV billed out to those choosing to watch from home.
What’s next for the 27-year old Baltimore native is unknown.
The winner of the George Kambosas and Devin Haney fight, set for June 5, could help provide clarity.
Ryan Garcia is a potential high-level fight everyone will want to see. He’s also another name the casual fan will want to get familiar with. Garcia was one of the many notable names in attendance. Additionally, it shouldn’t go unnoticed how Garcia received the loudest boos from the pro-Davis crowd once his presence was confirmed.
Furthermore, there’s the status of Davis’ multilfight deal with Mayweather Promotions. There’s growing speculation he will part ways with his long-time promoter, Floyd Mayweather. Well, his win over Romero was the final bout of that deal.
There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the future of Davis. There’s no doubting his impact on the sport.
Looking for a reason to watch more boxing? Davis is the answer.
Main Image: Al Bello/Getty Images
Anthony Rushing is on Twitter @TonyRushingNY
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
