Page 13 - AB

A32 sports
Diasabra 28 Mei 2022

Tank vs talk: Gervonta Davis aims to quiet challenger Romero

By BRIAN MAHONEY ed lightweight title matchup time pay-per-view card and from judo at 17, giving Davis saw more fear against Isaac
AP Sports Writer of unbeatens in Brooklyn. the first big boxing event back a significant advantage in ring Cruz, the replacement op-
NEW YORK (AP) — If this "I feel as though the talking is in Brooklyn since the pan- rounds. ponent Davis fought in Los
was about trading insults, over. The time is now," Davis demic started more than two Davis seemed frustrated Angeles. Davis won that fight
Gervonta Davis might not be said. years ago. Barclays Center is enough by Romero to push by unanimous decision, end-
the better man this time. He has been doing this much where Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) his opponent off the stage at ing a streak of stoppages that
Rolando Romero can talk and longer, not just at the highest won his first title in 2017, and their weigh-in Friday, forcing began in 2015. Romero said
has been doing plenty of it levels of boxing, but in the he has gone on to draw big the fighters to be separated. Cruz hit Davis easily and be-
leading into their match Sat- sport itself. When it's time to crowds from coast to coast "There's definitely differ- lieves the Baltimore native
urday night, profanely pok- stop jabbering and start jab- while winning titles in three ent levels when you come will be target practice for his
ing fun at everything from bing, he believes there will different weight classes. to the sport of boxing," Da- power punches.
the quality of Davis' resume be a big difference against a At 27, he has built himself vis said. "There's people that "There's no way I can miss,"
to the size of his head. fighter who's had only about into one of the biggest names play with boxing and there's Romero said. "He has a big-
When it comes to trading half as many professional in boxing, though Romero people that've been doing this ass head."
punches, Davis insists it will fights. (14-0, 12 KOs) contends he since they were kids. You've Both fighters are promoted
be a different story in a heat- The bout headlines a Show- did it by beating up on small- got somebody that's been do- by Mayweather Promotions,
er fighters, or carefully cho- ing this since they were 7 and where Davis has long been
sen opponents who lack his somebody that's been do- the big star, considered a
power. ing this since they were 17. worthy successor to Floyd
Romero has boasted that he Like, come on, bro. It's time Mayweather. He'll have to
will knock out Davis in one to show that I'm one of the make room — or move out
round. He didn't back away ones." of the way — for Romero if
from that when asked what They were scheduled to fight the challenger fights as good
he envisions happening Sat- in December before Romero as he talks.
urday night. was taken off the card while Romero's martial arts back-
"Tank flatlined on the authorities investigated ac- ground has given him a repu-
ground," he said. cusations of sexual assault tation of an awkward fighter
Davis seems alternately an- against him. No charges were in the way he punches, but
noyed and amused by the filed. Davis just sees an undevel-
antics of the 26-year-old Romero claims they were oped one. Mastering the
Romero, who is on the brink supposed to share the ring microphone helped Romero
of the biggest night of a box- before that, but Davis twice land a spot in the main event
ing career that isn't even 10 backed out of plans to spar of a pay-per-view after just 14
years old. He only took up with him. He said Davis is fights, but experience isn't re-
the sport after switching scared of him and believes he quired to hype a fight.