Gervonta Davis took advice from Floyd Mayweather in the corner during his Pay Per View on Saturday night and duly scored a knockout minutes later.
One of the biggest stars in boxing, Davis put on a career-defining performance live on SHOWTIME PPV from the award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
“Tank” scored a scintillating 11th round TKO over the previously-undefeated Mario Barrios to capture the WBA “Secondary” Super Lightweight Championship in the action-packed Premier Boxing Champions event. Watch the stoppage HERE.
“I made it tough. I definitely could have made it easier. But I went up two weight classes, and I got the job done,” said the 26-year-old Baltimore native, who was headlining his second SHOWTIME PPV.
I hit him with some clean shots, but I’m the type of fighter that wants to catch you with clean shots.
“I don’t just want to throw any shot. The shots I was throwing were missing, but eventually, I caught up with him.”
In a fight that lived up to its potential, Gervonta Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) and Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) combined to put on an unforgettable main event in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,570.
After a slow opening four rounds in which Davis landed just 11 punches, the fight produced fireworks beginning in the fifth round.
In the eighth round, “Tank” sent “El Azteca” to the canvas for both the first and second times of his career.
First, Davis connected on a sweeping right hook that sent the former champion to the canvas. Moments later, a straight left hand by Davis dropped Barrios again.
The brave Barrios rose to his feet, surviving Davis’ attempts to finish him in the eighth.
With International Boxing Hall of Famer and promoter Floyd Mayweather encouraging Davis in his corner, the southpaw came out rejuvenated in the eleventh round, realizing that the fight could be close on the scorecards.
GERVONTA DAVIS STOPPAGE
Gervonta Davis dropped Barrios for the third time in the fight, with a left uppercut to the body. The bloodied Barrios rose again, only to be greeted with another barrage of punches from Davis.
“Thomas Taylor stepped in to stop the fight at 2:13 of the eleventh round.
“I knew for sure if I catch him, I’m crackin,” Davis told SHOWTIME’s, Jim Gray. “So I caught him, and it showed. My coach told me to go to a jabbing style. But I’m a southpaw, so they know I’m going to that jab side.
“So I would try and bait him in. I faked like I was going left, and I threw my right. And my hook over the top, and that’s where I caught him.”
.@FloydMayweather keeping it ???? with @Gervontaa in his corner. #DavisBarrios pic.twitter.com/qBbFe6hZKZ
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) June 27, 2021
In the final six-and-a-half rounds, Davis landed 85 punches. He landed 45 percent of his power punches (82/182), while Barrios more than held his own, out-landing Davis in six of the ten completed rounds.
“I knew he was hurt. I just had to catch him at the right time,” Davis continued. “Floyd [Mayweather] came to me and was honest and said I was down,” continued Davis, who was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. “So he said, ‘Show me that you’re great.’ And you know how we do it in the doghouse, baby!”
With the victory, Davis now holds world championships (two of them secondary) in three different divisions simultaneously, a feat only accomplished by a few other fighters in history, including Henry Armstrong and Canelo Alvarez.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
“He has the potential to be one of the greatest ever,” said Mayweather. “When I first met ‘Tank’ when he was 14 or 15 years old, I told him I’d make him a world champion.
“And that you’ll be one of the best someday. I’m proud of him.”
“I’ve never been a hater. Congrats to ‘Tank,’” said Barrios. “He came here and did his thing. It was nothing short of an exciting fight, and that’s precisely what both of us predicted.
“He was the better man tonight, but I’ll be back.
“Tank” is explosive. He caught me slipping, and it’s boxing. At the end of the day, one punch can change a fight. That’s what I felt happened. Congrats to him.”
