2020: Year of the Tank
Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott
2019 will be looked at as the year Gervonta Davis proved he was the next star of boxing. After one fight in 2018, Tank needed a year to hush the naysayers and that’s exactly what he did. Despatching of Hugo Ruiz in February and then Ricardo Nunez in July; Tank saved the best until last. Olympic Gold Medalist and former unified Featherweight World Champion, Yuriorkis Gamboa. The man challenged with stopping the hype surrounding the 25-year-old.
Davis’ last three fights have gone no further than 3 rounds, and fans were eager to see if Gamboa could provide more of a challenge. The answer nearly came in the second round as Davis used his jab and a follow up left-hand to drop his foe. But Gamboa rose and survived the round, albeit showing signs of some trouble with his ankle.
Tank dominated every part of the fight, highlighted by the wide scorecards by the judges after the fight – Davis ahead on every card at the time of the stoppage.
Another onslaught came in the 8th. Tank landed a lead right hook that rocked Gamboa and he needed no encouragement to throw a barrage of punches, with a slashing left-hand landing and dropping the Cuban. Again, the veteran rose to his feet and continued the battle.
As we entered the 12th and final round, a round to which Tank had never faced before – it was obvious Davis was looking to give the fans a KO finish and end the night with a bang.
Davis landed blow after blow in the 12th, roared on by the crowd. With minutes remaining on the clock, Gervonta landed a left-land that sent Gamboa to the canvas for the final time, as referee Jack Reiss had seen enough and waved off the fight. Tank did as he always does, and climbed the ropes to acknowledge the raucous crowd.
After the fight, Tank promised more in 2020 and outlined his plans to dominate both the 130 and 135lb divisions, and proclaimed himself as the Top-Dog in both weight classes. After last nights performance, who can argue. With huge World Title fights in both weight classes, who would you like to see Tank fight next? LOMA? Santa Cruz? Garcia? Let us know below.
