In a thrilling and action-packed slugfest at State Farm Arena, the 26-year-old rising star Gervonta Davis headlined his second consecutive Pay-Per-View event.
In an impressive display of skill, Davis secured a world title in his third weight class by stopping Mario Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs), the WBA regular champion at 140 pounds, in the eleventh round.
Throughout the fight, Gervonta maintained the lead on all three scorecards. However, Barrios proved to be a formidable opponent, engaging in a competitive and exciting exchange of blows.
Despite Davis’ dominance, Barrios remained active and fought him on equal terms, resulting in an exhilarating showdown.
Gervonta Davis dominated Mario Barrios in impressive KO victory on this day
Hailing from Baltimore, Davis showcased his resilience in the eleventh round. Despite a strong start from Barrios, Gervonta rallied and delivered a powerful left uppercut to the body, causing Barrios to hit the canvas for the third time in the fight.
🗓 ON THIS DAY in 2021…
Gervonta Davis stopped Mario Barrios to claim the WBA 'Regular' Super-Lightweight title 🥊
Who do you want to see Tank fight next? 👀
🎬 @PremierBoxing / @ShowtimeBoxing #GervontaDavis | #BoxingFans | #TankDavis pic.twitter.com/oDKN0NMqyY
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) June 26, 2023
Although Barrios managed to get back on his feet, a relentless barrage of punches from Davis along the ropes prompted referee Thomas Taylor to intervene at 2:13 of the round, declaring Davis the victor.
Gervonta, the reigning WBA champion at 130 pounds and secondary WBA titleholder at 135 pounds, demonstrated his punching power even in his junior welterweight debut.
Despite giving up a significant height advantage, Davis proved to be the superior puncher. This victory came just nine months after his memorable knockout of the year in 2020, when he finished Leo Santa Cruz with an uppercut in the sixth round of their junior lightweight bout.
In the early stages of the fight, Barrios utilized his jab effectively to control the distance and avoided overextending himself.
However, Gervonta made a crucial adjustment in the fifth round by parrying Barrios’ jab with his right glove. This tactic disarmed Barrios, as he grew wary of Davis countering him at close range with his superior speed.
Davis seemed to seize momentum in the eighth round, catching Barrios off guard with a lead right hook that sent him to the canvas. Davis followed up with a left hand, scoring a second knockdown.
Despite his efforts, Gervonta was unable to finish the resilient Barrios in the remaining two minutes of the round, which took a toll on Davis’ energy reserves.
Who will challenge Gervonta Davis next?
Max Holloway has expressed his desire for a UFC-Boxing crossover fight against Gervonta, drawing similarities to Conor’s bout against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Holloway, fresh off his victory over Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 221, discussed his interest in facing Davis during an interview with the MMA Hour.
Davis showcased his dominant skills by knocking out Ryan in their recent main-event fight, where Garcia was subjected to a re-hydration clause that limited his ability to gain weight freely after the official weigh-ins.
However, Holloway does not wish to have the same clause if he were to step into the boxing ring against Davis. Conor, like Holloway, has also criticized the implementation of a re-hydration clause in Garcia’s fight.
After the fight, McGregor visited Garcia in the locker room and expressed his desire to see a rematch between Davis and Garcia without any restraints imposed by a re-hydration clause.
