Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz - October 31, 2020

[Jason Calara]

This is very interesting. Good fight i believe.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Michel Rivera vs. Ladarius Miller

Rising unbeaten Michel Rivera will take on lightweight contender Ladarius Miller in a 10-round showdown highlighting non-televised undercard action on Saturday, October 31 from the Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The event is headlined by the highly anticipated showdown between Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz , as the two stars battle for the WBA Lightweight and WBA Super Featherweight Championships on SHOWTIME PPV.

Pay-per-view action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features unbeaten San Antonio native and WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario "El Azteca" Barrios defending his title against hard-hitting Ryan "Cowboy" Karl in the co-main event and former super lightweight world champion Regis "Rougarou" Prograis taking on unbeaten contender Juan Heráldez in a 10-round showdown. In the telecast opener, lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Diego Magdaleno will battle in an IBF title eliminator bout.

Additional undercard attractions will see unbeaten Jerry Perez (12-0, 9 KOs) face Joshua Zuniga (11-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight bout and undefeated welterweight Kent Cruz (15-0-1, 9 KOs) squaring off against Mexico's José Marrufo (12-10-2, 1 KO) in a six-round fight.

Rounding out the lineup is unbeaten Julian Rodarte (17-0-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round super lightweight fight opposite Mexico's José Morales, and the pro debut of Anthony Cuba in a four-round lightweight affair against Leon Cavalli (1-1, 1 KO).

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, GTD Promotions and Santa Cruz Boxing Club. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. The Alamodome has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. All fans attending the event will be screened upon entry and are required to wear a mask as well as follow social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as "pods" to maintain distance between groups not from the same party. For more information, visit Alamodome.com.

The highly touted Rivera (18-0, 12 KOs) was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now fights out of Miami, Fla. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene in his U.S. debut in June 2019 on ShoBox: The New Generation, handing René Téllez Girón his first career loss in one of his three victories that year. Rivera stepped up again in competition in his 2020 debut, stopping Fidel Maldonado Jr. in round 10 of their February clash.

Fighting out of the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, the Memphis-born Miller (21-1, 6 KOs) has put together an impressive 11-bout winning streak since losing a six-round decision in 2016. The 27-year-old picked up a win over current 130-pound champion Jamel Herring in 2017, and last July he defeated former world champion Jezreel Corrales by decision. Most recently, Miller dominated Marcos Leonardo Jimenez on his way to a unanimous decision victory in February of this year.

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LIVE STREAM: Gervonta Davis Open Workout For Santa Cruz Clash

[Evander]

Can't wait to see the weigh in for this.

[Evander]

It's a proper Black USA v Mexican USA fight.
Good match up of styles.
The fight sells itself.

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Santa Cruz: I've Been Sparring With Bigger Guys; Hopefully I Could Take Tank's Punches

Leo Santa Cruz’s chin has been one of his best attributes since he turned pro 14 years ago.

The four-division champion’s lone loss was a 12-round, majority-decision defeat to Carl Frampton four years ago, which he avenged in their immediate rematch. Gervonta Davis has won all but one of his professional fights by knockout (23-0, 22 KOs) and has stopped 14 straight opponents inside the distance.

Many skeptics predict that this ambitious move by Santa Cruz will lead to the first knockout defeat of his career when they square off October 31 at Alamodome in San Antonio. Santa Cruz recognizes the danger in their 12-round, 130-pound title bout, but he is sparring against as many bigger boxers as possible to properly prepare for Davis’ vaunted power.

“The way I have prepared is, you know, I’ve been sparring with bigger guys, fighters that are like at 145, 147 right now,” Santa Cruz said during a virtual press conference recently. “So, I think that’s gonna prepare me to take their punches. When I’m right there with Tank Davis, I’m gonna be able to take his punches. I’ve been working with my neck and everything, and just, you know, eating a little bit more better and just, you know, go out there and hopefully, you know, I could take his punches.”

Baltimore’s Davis applauded Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) for willingly taking their fight. Santa Cruz called out Davis the night the Rosemead, California, native won his most recent fight – a 12-round, unanimous-decision win against Houston’s Miguel Flores (24-3, 12 KOs) last November 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“Thank you, Leo, for, you know, even stepping up and calling me out, you know, to test yourself,” Davis stated during the aforementioned press conference. “You know, that just make me feel like, you know, you have a lot of heart, you know, and you wanna fight the best.”

Santa Cruz captured a then-vacant title Davis relinquished by defeating Flores.

Santa Cruz’s victory over Flores marked his only fight at the 130-pound limit. Davis has fought almost exclusively at or near the junior lightweight maximum, but he has moved back down from the lightweight division for this bout.

Handicappers have installed Davis as a 4-1 favorite to beat Santa Cruz. Davis, 25, and Santa Cruz, 32, will fight for Santa Cruz’s WBA “super” 130-pound championship and Davis’ WBA world 135-pound crown in the main event of Showtime Pay-Per-View’s four-fight telecast.

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All Access: Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz (Episode 2 Preview)

The second installment of Showtime’s All Access programming airs tonight at 8:30pm.

[NateJR]

This is a good fight. Santa Cruz will either bring out the best in Tank or Santa Cruz could even take Tank into deep waters and make it a very uncomfortable night for Tank with constant pressure.

What I've seen of tank, he looks very dry and drained. I'm afraid Tank might be leaving too much in the gym dropping back down to 130, he just doesn't look as strong as he has in the past.

It's a interesting fight and I could see a upset happening. Might be the year of upsets, we already seen the young Lopez beat Lomachenko, I feel Garcia has a fair shot against Spence, I could see Brook giving Crawford a tougher test than expected. IDK, it just seems to me Cruz is much more prepared than tank mentally and physically.

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[maverick23]

It’s a really good fight but that’s a lot money. Also the undercard is average. £58/$75 is too much to watch a good fight with average undercard.

No wonder boxing PPVs have been performing rubbishly in the last few years.

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Fight Week!

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Leo Santa Cruz: Beating Davis Will Open The Door For More PPV Events

“This is the type of fight I’ve dreamed of my entire career, really since I was a little kid,” Santa Cruz told Boxing Scene of their October 31 Showtime Pay-Per-View headliner from The Alomodome in San Antonio. “This is bigger than my two fights with Abner Mares, and with Carl Frampton.

“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long time. Gervonta Davis is a big name and a (rising) superstar. This is my chance to show that we deserve to be among the best.”

“I have a chance to make history in this fight,” notes Santa Cruz. “The first Mexican fighter ever to win world titles in five weight classes. Beating Gervonta Davis will open the door for more PPV events for the rest of my career.”

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Frampton breaks down Santa Cruz-Davis

This Saturday, October 31st, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, will look across the ring at multi-division champion Leo Santa Cruz. Headlining a pay-per-view (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, the 25 year-old Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) will have the opportunity to record his career best win against one of the best fighters of recent years. It’s an opportunity that Carl Frampton is all too familiar with. “Leo Santa Cruz is the best fighter I’ve been in the ring with,” said Frampton, a two-division champion. The statement is lofty praise for the Mexican considering Frampton’s decorated ledger, which includes high-quality operators such as Josh Warrington, Scott Quigg and Nonito Donaire.

Frampton’s 24 rounds with Santa Cruz, 32, 37-1-1 (19 KOs) that stretched from the summer of 2016 to early into the next year was full of explosive action. Frampton, who won the first ibout but lost the second, was well aware of what he was up against before the inaugural bell rang. “He was someone who I had my eye on long before we actually got it on,” revealed Frampton. “It was a fight I wanted to do right after I defeated Hugo Cazares in 2014, but it ended up being Kiko Martinez instead. His power was something that didn’t really concern me, but his stamina was impressive and he liked to overwhelm his opponents as the fight went on. He’s a fighter who throws plenty of punches so matching his output was going to be vital if I was going to beat him. “

Frampton planned accordingly. “It was important that I made a good start against him and after I hurt him in the second round, it made him think twice of just jumping in and trying to set a quick pace,” said the Belfast native. “It was obvious after a few rounds that he was better than anyone I’d been in the ring with before. Honestly, the third round felt like it was the sixth because it was pretty much non-stop in those first few rounds. I was happy with the start I’d made and I was able to keep it going for the whole 12 rounds.”

With Frampton earning the judge’s plaudits via a majority decision, the closeness of the bout combined with public demand ensured that a rematch was inevitable. Six months after their maiden encounter in Brooklyn, Frampton and Santa Cruz headed to Las Vegas, and the latter gained revenge via the scorecards. The second fight, like most rematches, lacked the tenacity of the original meeting, but the quality remained excellent. Santa Cruz made tactical adjustments and it was enough to level proceedings between the pair.

“I’ll be honest, I expected him to do the same thing all over again in our rematch because that’s what his career had pretty much up to that point,” said Frampton. “He was still throwing plenty of shots and was being busy, but he was doing it from the outside and keeping it long. It was hard to adjust to and I struggled to get close to him. That shows you how good a fighter he is because he came in and done something completely different and it was enough to get the job done.”

Oddsmakers have Santa Cruz an underdog against the heavy-handed Davis as he aims to win a world title in a fifth weight class. Frampton agrees that Davis should be the favorite, but sees a window of opportunity for Santa Cruz to pull it off.

“For all Davis’ qualities, I do think there’s a bit of laziness in him and it looks like he can get bored in the ring sometimes,” said Frampton. “Believe me, he can’t take a moment off against Santa Cruz. If Davis is on it and at his best then it’s going to be a hard night for Santa Cruz, but the later it goes, you have to say that Santa Cruz has a chance because I think he’ll be the freshest man down the stretch.”

PBC Press Release written by Chris Walker

[Evander]

Weigh in on Friday should be charged.
Will Davis make weight ?

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Bob Arum says Davis-Santa Cruz won’t sell on PPV, talks Inoue-Moloney
The Top Rank promoter isn’t too worried about eyes being off Naoya Inoue on Saturday night.

Naoya Inoue has been in Las Vegas for more than a week, promoter Bob Arum said on Tuesday, and his weight is on target for Saturday’s clash against Jason Maloney, which will stream on ESPN+.

That’s good news, being that the 19-0 “Monster” makes his home in Japan, and no one needs to tell you that COVID has impacted travel plans and fight matchups. But so far so good for the Top Rank main event, set to play out at the MGM Bubble on Halloween night.

“I did a Zoom Monday with his opponent Moloney, the former world title challenger from Melbourne, Australia,” Arum said. “It’s a terrific fight. And if Inoue, defending his WBA and IBF bantamweight world titles, wins, we will figure out if his people want him to do a fight in Japan for New Year’s Eve, or have us do the next fight here.

“We’d get him in the spring. There are plenty of options, like (WBO bantamweight titleholder) John Riel Casimero, and everybody up to 122.”

In the co-feature, unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer (13-0, 5 KO) will challenge the Polish WBO female junior lightweight world champion Ewa Brodnicka (19-0, 2 KO), and heavyweight Jared Anderson (6-0, 6 KO) has a fight, too.

Arum is aware there are other entertainment options for sports fans on Saturday. Showtime is trotting out Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz on a pay-per-view from Texas. The Bobfather said he’s not worried about the SHO fare. You can pay $49.99 for a year’s subscription to ESPN+, he said, or pony up a premium fee for the Gervonta card.

“Ours, you do have to be a subscriber,” he continued. “They are gonna do no business.”

But Santa Cruz is a viable foe, I pointed out.

“It’s not because it’s not a good fight, but asking people to pay that during the pandemic, it’s ridiculous. The only way pay-per-view works, for forever, is when you can get a bunch of people over your house.”

That option being disabled, and the prevalence of piracy, he said, make it an uphill climb with lead hiking boots.

Business aside, as far as the contest goes, one has to wonder what type of rust effect there might be on Inoue. He was last seeing live fire in Nov. 2019 against Nonito Donaire. It was a harder lift than many assumed it would be, and was that because, I don’t know, he’s reached his athletic peak? 118 is a bit too taxing for him? He’s not a top three pound-for-pounder? Or maybe that Donaire is an A-fighter, with a heart right there with his skill set as a massive plus to his credit?

“Monster” fanatics didn’t like seeing those counters from Donaire get to him. Rips to the body, too, were landing from the seasoned Donaire, who wasn’t put off even a tiny bit by the Inoue hype. Might a fractured eye socket, which did not need surgery, be worrying for the man from Japan? Do we think some of what worked for Nonito, especially that willpower, that intrepid mindset, has been imbued into the twin Moloney?

I don’t expect him to be able to replicate the speed-power-timing-accuracy packaging Inoue saw from Donaire, so mindset is going to be that much more important.

How are you seeing this Top Rank main event, readers?

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Fight Picks: Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz

On Saturday, rising star Gervonta Davis will face battle-hardened Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA junior lightweight and WBA lightweight titles at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas.

The eagerly anticipated showdown will be televised on Showtime Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Davis was a decorated amateur, who turned professional at 18. He learnt his trade and sailed under the radar until the big punching southpaw demolished previously unbeaten Jose Pedraza in seven rounds to claim the IBF 130-pound title in eye-opening fashion. The Floyd Mayweather Jr. prodigy made one successful defense before he missed weight, forfeiting the title.

The Baltimore native doubled-down and won the WBA 130-pound title taking apart Jesus Cuellar in three rounds. Davis’ star continued to rise when he blitzed former WBC 122-pound titleholder Hugo Ruiz and Ricardo Nunez. Last time out, Davis looked less than his best but still stopped former unified featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 12th round.

Santa Cruz also turned professional as a teenager. He won the IBF 118-pound title outboxing Vusi Malinga over 12 rounds. The talented Mexican made three defenses before moving to 122, where he quickly won the WBC 122-pound strap, stopping Victor Terrazas in three rounds. After four title defenses, Santa Cruz moved to featherweight where he became a three-weight titlist by edging Abner Mares. He lost for the only time against Carl Frampton, but in a direct rematch regained the WBA title. He subsequently beat Mares in a rematch and has claimed the vacant WBA 130-pound title last time out against Miguel Flores by unanimous decision.

Davis (23-0, 22 knockouts) is bigger, stronger and fresher than Santa Cruz. How will the wily Mexican deal with that? Can Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) get through the opening onslaught to use his greater work rate in the second half of the fight to mug Davis? Santa Cruz has always had a sturdy chin; how will he hold up against Davis’ impressive power? If Davis has had a less than stellar camp, might he find the activity of Santa Cruz troubling?

Online gambling group William Hill lists Davis as a 2/7 (-350) favorite, while Santa Cruz is priced at 5/2 (+250); the draw is 20/1 (+2000).

Here’s how the experts see it:

THE RING MAGAZINE/RINGTV.COM

TOM GRAY: DAVIS SD

“I see a lot of people completely writing off Santa Cruz in this fight, which surprises me. Despite coming up in weight, the Mexican technician is taller and rangier, plus he has a huge advantage in championship experience. His only loss was to Carl Frampton by majority decision and Santa Cruz displayed his versatility and ring craft in the return, which he won on points. Davis can blow hot and cold. His handspeed and power are serious threats to any fighter at the lower weights, but his volume tends to drop as a bout progresses and Santa Cruz will know that. I think Davis has a fight on his hands and while he may get the win, I think he’ll have to earn it. A debatable decision is what I foresee, and I would not be shocked if Santa Cruz pulls this off.”

ANSON WAINWRIGHT: DAVIS TKO 9

“The old adage, ‘A good big un will always beats a good little un’ springs to mind. Santa Cruz has had just one fight at 130 and will face Davis for titles at 130 and 135. Davis is bursting at the seams at 130, so has the parachute of the dual titles. Santa Cruz will be undersized and outgunned here. The only advantage the proud Mexican has is experience. He will need all that knowledge and then some. I don’t think Santa Cruz will be able to stop Davis marching forward and will get pushed back, eventually stopping Santa Cruz, who will go out on his shield, in around nine-rounds.”

LEE GROVES: DAVIS TKO 8

“This prediction, of course, is heavily dependent on whether Davis makes at least one of the mandated weights in a healthy and strong manner, which certainly wasn’t the case when he faced Yuriorkis Gamboa in his most recent fight. The strain of making 135 before that fight clearly had a negative effect on Davis’ ability to go all out and it allowed Gamboa enough breathing room to continue fighting despite suffering a ruptured Achilles. Conversely, we know what we’re going to see from Santa Cruz: High work rate, terrific stamina and, in recent fights, an effective jab. I do think, however, that Santa Cruz won’t be big enough to absorb the best of Davis’ thunder over the length of a 12-round fight, so that’s why I’m guessing that the fight will end inside the distance. But if the Davis that fought Gamboa shows up again, Santa Cruz has the conditioning and hustle to score a points victory. The question surrounding Davis’ conditioning is what makes this a fascinating contest, but I believe that the best version of Davis will show up here and will perform accordingly.”

MARTY MULCAHEY: DAVIS TKO

“To my eyes, Gervonta Davis is too big, too fast, too strong, and too young for Leo Santa Cruz. Pick any of those poisons at the highest level and it can mean a loss, and to have all four go against Leo Santa Cruz is almost an assured stoppage win for Davis. Santa Cruz made his bones coming forward and throwing an awesome volume of punches that overwhelmed opponents. Davis will negate that with his bulk, and if need be, his lateral movement, so Santa Cruz will not be able to throw as many punches going backwards. I admire Santa Cruz and his passion, but at age 32, Davis is the wrong type of challenger who brings too many intangibles to the table against a slowing Santa Cruz, who was never that quick to begin with. I see a mid-to-late round stoppage victory with either the referee or corner stepping in to halt a one-sided affair.”

MICHAEL MONTERO: DAVIS UD

“I see this match up in a similar light to the (Errol) Spence-(Mikey) Garcia bout from last March. Tank’s management is using the Leo Santa Cruz name to further build their brand. Size matters. Although Santa Cruz is slightly taller and longer than Davis, more than half of his fights were under 122-pounds, and he has fought at 130-pounds just once. As long as Davis makes weight safely, I like him to control the action. Santa Cruz has heart, experience and knows how to survive. I see a distance fight, and a unanimous decision win for Tank.”

MICHAEL WOODS: DAVIS UD

“Before he collides with Santa Cruz, first Gervonta must tangle with his faithful rival, the scale. Is it not OK to furnish a pick before the weigh-in? No? OK, here goes. Santa Cruz isn’t old, but he isn’t young. That Tank hand speed and power is going to be bothersome. But his ring savvy, and chin solidity will hold up. So, we likely get a Tank decision win, by a margin of three points.”

NORM FRAUENHEIM: DAVIS TKO 7

“Davis’ power is head-rocking real. But there are still questions about his advertised potential. He’s been called boxing’s next big star. We’re still waiting. Leo Santa Cruz is a chance to prove that the talk is more than just another load of fake news. Given Davis’ struggles to make weight and other misadventures, it’s hazardous to say he’ll finally deliver. But the guess here is that he’s aware that fans and media are impatient. He knows he needs a big win. Enter Santa Cruz, an opportunity if there ever was one. Santa Cruz, ex-featherweight and bantamweight great, is smaller. His reflexes are not what they were. But name recognition is the last thing to fade. Davis is coming down to 130 pounds, from 135, to add a known name to his resume. But it’s tricky, especially if Davis, 25, weakens himself in a battle to make weight. A weary Davis late figures to be a scorecard loser in the end. But Santa Cruz, 32, doesn’t seem to have the ever-ready energy he once had. A younger, stronger Davis promises to hurt him with body shots early, leaving him tired and vulnerable to the head shots that will finish him for the first time ever midway through the bout.”

BOXING INSIDERS

ROBERT DIAZ (MATCHMAKER, GOLDEN BOY): DAVIS TKO 9

“A fight with a lot of questions to be answered. Questions like: Will Davis make the 130-pound weight limit? If he does, how much will that affect him? If he doesn’t, how much will that be a big advantage for him? Leo, who is a very busy fighter, is now fighting a bigger, stronger, faster and younger fighter. How does he win regardless of weight? Heart and balls, is that enough? I don’t think so. Styles makes fights and this is a bad style for Leo. I see Davis winning by ninth-round TKO; his corner stops the fight.”

ABNER MARES (FORMER THREE-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER/TV ANALYST): UNDECIDED

“I think it’s a good matchup. Both fighters bring a lot of strength and skill to the division and I think it’s a fight fans will want to see. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve been wanting great matchups with some of the top fighters in the game. This is one of them. Well for Tank, it is patience. He has to wait for Leo to come in and make mistakes. It is obvious that Leo is going to try to box. So, Tank needs to wait for him to come in, get desperate, and go back to the old Leo—the aggressor. That’s when Tank can just counterpunch all day. He can look for openings and that sweet uppercut that he has, as well as look to the inside hook to land. On the Leo side, it’s almost like he has to fight the perfect fight. He can’t get too excited. He has to jab his way in to touch Tank everywhere—head, body, shoulders—just get Tank out of rhythm with that jab. When you see an out-of-balance and stationary Tank, that’s when you let your hands go and make points, punish him to the body and turn him all night. It’s going to be a fun Halloween night; we will have to watch to see.”

DUKE MCKENZIE (FORMER THREE-DIVISION TITLEHOLDER/TV ANALYST): DAVIS TKO

“It would take a brave man to bet on a Santa Cruz victory. Davis really is the real deal, with an impressive 22 KOs in 23 fights. Santa Cruz is similar to Jose Pedraza, whom Davis dispatched with relative ease. I see this going the same way. Davis inside eight rounds.”

JOLENE MIZZONE (MATCHMAKER, MAIN EVENTS): DAVIS TKO

“I think that Davis is the better fighter in this one and I think the weight is going to hurt Santa Cruz, since Davis is the naturally bigger guy. Santa Cruz is going to be right in front of Davis, which is the perfect fight for Davis. I think Davis is a very special fighter that needs to keep his head on. If he does, he can go very far. Davis by late stoppage.”

RAUL MARQUEZ (FORMER WORLD CHAMPION/COMMENTATOR): DAVIS TKO

“With Floyd Mayweather involved in his camp, Tank Davis will make weight and be in great shape. Tank is younger, faster, and stronger. Santa Cruz has the experience and his high-volume punching will make the fight interesting at times. Tank Davis mid-to-late round stoppage.”

ALEX STEEDMAN (COMMENTATOR): DAVIS TKO

“I enjoyed Teofimo Lopez’s recent suggestion that Gervonta Davis should pick on someone his own size. That’s at odds with the height and reach advantages Leo Santa Cruz will enjoy over Davis, but given Tank’s flirtation with 135-pounds, you know what he means. Theoretically, Leo Santa Cruz is made for the faster, sharper, harder-hitting Davis, who has knocked out all, bar one of his opponents, and often spectacularly. He’s a special talent, albeit one we see rarely enough. Santa Cruz showed in the Frampton rematch he’s no one-trick pony, but at 32 he could be there for Davis. Can Tank become the first to halt Santa Cruz? It’s a bold call, but I think he might.”

JOHN SCULLY (TRAINER): DAVIS UD

“The toughest fight of Gervonta’s career thus far, but I think he will rise to the occasion with speed and power and come through with a tough, but clear decision.”

KALLE SAUERLAND (PROMOTER, SAUERLAND EVENT): ​DAVIS KO

“I think this is something of a breakout fight for Gervonta Davis, whereby he confirms his status among the elite. Up until now, he’s always been considered a rising star. I think he will rise to the occasion and set up some great fights in 2021. Gervonta Davis to win by KO.”

MICHAEL AMOO-BEDIAKO (MANAGER): DAVIS TKO

“This is going to be an interesting fight as I think it all depends what type of fight Santa Cruz brings on the night. We know Santa Cruz can be a pressure fighter, but he can also be patient like in his second fight with Frampton. I think if he brings it to Davis, it will be a tough night for Santa Cruz, as Davis is the bigger guy and he throws a lot of his punches with bad intentions. But if he’s patient, then Davis will have to work his way in carefully. Either way, I believe Davis wins by late-stoppage, as he has age and weight on his side. I think he is improving, while Santa Cruz may be on the slide, having had one too many hard battles.”

WAYNE MCCULLOUGH (FORMER WORLD CHAMPION/TRAINER): DAVIS TKO 7

“This is probably going to be Davis’ toughest fight. Santa Cruz has the engine to push Davis for 12 rounds, where he has never been before with his sole distance fight in October 2014, which was only a six-rounder. Santa Cruz will be busy out-punching Davis at least three punches to one, but will he withstand the heavy hands of Davis, who can knock you out in round one or round 12? Leo has to try and stay really close to Davis and put out volumes of punches, while being careful. He might wear Davis down later in the fight. Short straight rights and left hooks will work for him against the southpaw Davis. Davis has a good right jab and he needs to keep Santa Cruz on the end of it so he can throw his lefts to the body or head. I think Santa Cruz will get caught inside by Davis’ left to the head and I think he will realize the step up to another division was just too far. Around the seventh, I think Davis will get the knockout. If it goes longer, Santa Cruz may be able to go the distance and only then will he have a chance of winning on points. But my prediction is Davis in seven.”

CAMERON DUNKIN (PROMOTER,NOW BOXING PROMOTIONS): DAVIS TKO

“I know Leo well because I started him, I managed him when he was with Golden Boy and won bantamweight title. To me, Tank is one of the best fighters in the world. He’s too fast and he hits too hard, and if he’s in shape, and I think he will be, you can’t get hit too much by him. I look for him to stop Leo late in the fight.”

RUDY HERNANDEZ (TRAINER): DAVIS TKO

“Leo Santa Cruz is a very, very nice guy. Once you meet him, it’s hard not to like him and worst to go against him. He’s a very hard worker, dedicated and went beyond expectations. But in this fight against Davis, it’s a bit too much. Davis is a young tiger in his prime and bigger. If Davis is to become a star, he wins by stoppage. He’s too strong and the referee stops the fight in the late rounds.”

Final Tally: Davis 18-0, with one undecided.

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Live Stream: Davis vs. Santa Cruz Final Press Conference

SHOWTIME Sports will provide live streaming coverage of fight week events featuring three-time world champion Gervonta “Tank Davis” and four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz ahead of their blockbuster SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) main event battle for the WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight Championships.

Thursday, October 29 – DAVIS VS. SANTA CRUZ MAIN EVENT FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE – TIME: 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT/10:00 a.m. PT



Friday, October 30

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN

TIME: 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT/10:00 a.m. PT



On Wednesday, all six fighters participating in the stacked televised undercard, including San Antonio’s world champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, will participate in the final undercard press conference and on Thursday, Davis and Santa Cruz will take center stage at the final main event press conference. On Friday, each fighter will step onto the scales at the official weigh-in.



Three-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz previewed their highly anticipated battle for the WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight Championships during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

Two of the sport’s most exciting fighters, Davis vs. Santa Cruz, will headline a SHOWTIME PPV Saturday, October 31 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) event presented by Premier Boxing Champions live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, GTD Promotions and Santa Cruz Boxing Club. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. The Alamodome has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

All fans attending the event will be screened upon entry and are required to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as “pods” to maintain distance between groups, not from the same party. For more information, visit Alamodome.com.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Counter-puncher]

woah there, this is for the 130lb and 135lb titles in the same fight

anyone want to bet against Broner I mean Davis missing 130lb weight?

[Ruthless-RKO]

woah there, this is for the 130lb and 135lb titles in the same fight

anyone want to bet against Broner I mean Davis missing 130lb weight?

Kinda like Mayweather-Maidana II was for the 147 and 154 titles.

Both had to make 147 though.

[Counter-puncher]

if Tank makes 130 I'll eat a newspaper

[Ruthless-RKO]

Good news for UK fans

What TV channel is it on and is there a live stream?

American fans will be able to catch the fight on Showtime Sports in a pay-per-view event.

The fight will cost fans $74.99 in the United States.

The fight will air on Channel 5 in the UK, meaning British fight fans will get it for free, coverage beginning at 2am on Sunday.

[Ruthless-RKO]

“We at Channel 5 are so proud to present one of the fights of the year in partnership with our ViacomCBS colleagues SHOWTIME. This latest matchup is testament to our commitment as a broadcaster to bring the British public world class boxing live and free,” said Caj Sohal, Head of Sports at Channel 5.

“We are proud to partner with Channel 5 to deliver this great event to the legions of passionate boxing fans across the UK,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Showtime Sports and Event Programming. “This is a prime opportunity to work with a corporate partner to distribute high-impact sports content across our global platforms. Saturday night’s card is stacked with intriguing fights, and the main event is one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. We have a boxer with one of the sport’s highest knockout ratios in “Tank” Davis facing one of the busiest, highest pressure fighters in the sport in Leo Santa Cruz. The UK boxing fans deserved an outlet to watch this exciting fight card live, and thanks to Channel 5, they will be able to do so.”

The fight will also be made available on Channel 5’s streaming service My5 from 9am Sunday morning, as well as on ViacomCBS-owned Pluto TV in the UK.

[Evander]

Do you think Gervonta Davis will make weight ?