Tonight, whether he wins, loses, or is held to a draw, we will likely see the final ring appearance of the great Floyd Mayweather Junior. There is, however, a young talent ready to “take over the sport,” and no, it’s not Conor McGregor.
22 year old Gervonta Davis, unbeaten at 18-0(17) and the holder of the IBF super featherweight crown, says he has been “passed the torch by Floyd” and is ready, willing and able to become the sport’s next star. Tonight, the gifted southpaw will, in all likelihood, enjoy showcasing his considerable skills, as he faces Francisco Fonseca of Costa Rica.
23 year old Fonseca is unbeaten at 19-0-1(13) yet he has never faced anyone anywhere close to Davis’ talents – indeed, two of Fonseca’s last four opponents had losing records – and he is a whopping great 50/1 underdog on some betting sites. It could be a short night for Davis but bigger tests await the Baltimore sensation.
“I will put on a great performance, I am ready to take over the sport,” Davis said to the media this week. “Floyd has told me that he is passing me on the torch. Camp has been great and this is a great fight for the fans. I am a new star in the sport.”
Again, it may be a great showcase for Davis but don’t expect a great, competitive fight. Though as he says himself, “Tank,” as Davis is known, has lots to learn still, he appears to be the whole package: fast, powerful, flashy, entertaining, immensely skilled. The big, testing fights will hopefully come in the coming few years. One fight that immediately springs to mind is a fight between Davis and pound-for-pound star Vasyl Lomachenko, the reigning WBO 130 pound ruler.
Davis is pretty much impartial about this fight, telling the media that he will be happy if the fight happens, happy if it doesn’t. A Lomachenko fight will not make Davis’ career, the young champion said. Still, it would be a fascinating fight, and maybe next year if Lomachenko is still operating at 130, it will happen. And if Davis is still fighting at super featherweight. Davis has expressed interest in moving up to lightweight if he cannot get a unification fight at 130.
For now, tonight, we can expect another impressive display of power, speed and accuracy from Davis. Fonseca, a replacement foe for original challenger, former champ “Rocky” Martinez, can be expected to give it a go, but he looks to be wholly out of his depth. Not only has Fonseca never before fought anyone as special as Davis, he has never before fought on such an enormous show. A serious case of nerves could affect the title challenger.
Or maybe Fonseca will rise to the occasion in quite epic fashion. Even at his absolute best though, the Costa Rican will do well to see the second half of the fight tonight.