One of boxing’s biggest box-office attractions takes centre stage again on Saturday night when Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis meets Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in a much-hyped showdown in Brooklyn.
This Showtime PPV should have taken place last December, but now it is finally almost here with fight night set for Barclays Center.
As build-ups go, this has been a pretty good one - ‘Rolly’ has been working overtime to get inside Gervonta’s head and sell the PPV. We’ll find out in under 48 hours whether he’s achieved either.
Davis is one of the brightest stars in a stacked lightweight division right now (think George Kambosos, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, Vasiliy Lomachenko) and carries brutal power at 135lbs.
The 27-year-old from Baltimore has built a perfect 26-0 pro record with 24 of those successes coming inside distance. Few fighters do highlight-reel knockouts better.
Now Gervonta stands on the brink of true megastardom - he has spoken in recent days of leaving the Mayweather Promotions banner to take control of his own career. That straight away might open up blockbusting fights with some of those other titans in the 135lb weight class.
‘Tank’ stays cool as ‘Rolly’ rants
One thing is clear from the histrionics we have seen so far in the countdown to this fight - Davis is maturing fast.
He explained: “I’m not emotional about what ‘Rolly’ is saying. At first I was, but he showed me that he’s just a hype job. He’s trying to hype himself up to get into the fight. It feels like he’s acting fake right now. He’s never been in this position and you can tell.
“We have to wait and see what happens. He’s predicting a first-round knockout, but I’m predicting something else. Make sure you buy the PPV or come out if you’re in Brooklyn, because it’s going to be a hell of a fight for sure.
“A lot of fighters are calling each other out but aren’t fighting. He worked his way up to this point and called me out. Now the fight is happening, so it’ll be great to have him on my resume after he talked all that trash.”
Gervonta referenced that growing maturity as he explained he has other people to care about now, not just himself.
“I think I’m growing as I continue on this path. I feel as though I’m getting better and better each day. I’m trying to walk like a champion just as much as I fight like a champion. I have two great daughters that I’m trying to raise and I’m trying to be the best person I can be.
“It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I know that it’s going to be fireworks for sure. He’s coming with a lot of power and emotion and I’m coming with my power for sure. I just can’t wait. It’s a big night for boxing.”
Romero talking the talk
While ‘Tank’ is close to being the finished article, file Romero under up-and-coming prospect for now, and maybe a future star. The 26-year-old is 14-0 as a pro with 12 wins inside distance.
This week he has again been highly vocal, this time about the level of opposition Gervonta has faced so far.
“Look at the resume of his fights. He’s faced weight-drained guys, UK fighters, 122 and 126 pounders, and guys past their prime. Mario Barrios was weight-drained in a damn bathtub for eight hours straight. I also thought Isaac Cruz beat him up.
“Davis didn’t show up to sparring twice when we agreed to it, because he’s scared of me. He says I’m scared, but that guy is scared of me.
“This feels really good. It’s about time he gets in the ring with me. I’m built for this moment and this fight. Not everyone is built for this. Davis obviously isn’t built for this. He can’t even say a word. I’m the superstar here.”
Big words, and we’ll find out soon enough whether Romero can get even close to backing them up. He is a 7/1 underdog with Sky Bet while Davis is a prohibitive 1/20 favourite.
‘Rolly’ boasted: “He’s going to get knocked out in one round. He’s been knocked down in the gym a bunch of times. He gets wobbled, knocked out and all sorts of hurt. I feel bad for him.
“I’m going to go in there and beat him up. That’s my only game plan. Make your money betting on me in this fight. We’re all going to get rich together.”
We’ll see…