Photos by Mark Robinson/SHOWTIME
Gervonta Davis (17-0, 16 KOs), recognized as Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s protégé, will take on Britain’s Liam Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs) at the Copper Box Arena in London this Saturday, May 20.
Davis will be making the first defense of his IBF Junior Lightweight title.
Previous champion Jose Pedraza took a voluntary defense of his title against Davis in January and was sensationally stripped of his belt by the up-and-coming Money Team fighter. Walsh earned his mandatory status to fight for the IBF title with an impressive victory over Andrey Klimov in October.
Davis, the 22-year-old American, is currently regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the boxing world. Davis looks to fill his promoter’s shoes and continue on the road to becoming boxing’s biggest star Saturday night.
“My main goal is to become the star of the sport. There are a lot of belts I want to win. When I’m in the ring my main focus is just to get the job done. I’ve got the belt but I want more in the sport. I’m here to break records, to be that next star and take over boxing,” said Davis (via ESPN).
While Davis has taken the boxing world by storm and is the betting favorite going into the fight, Walsh should not be counted out.
Walsh also sports a perfect record and has been fighting good opponents, testing himself against solid competitors for years. Walsh is a well-rounded boxer and is known for his ring IQ.
“I feel like I’ve been in tougher fights than him, I feel like I’ve been in longer fights. I think I have a better boxing IQ than him. He’s very powerful, very physical and very fast, but we haven’t seen him in a long fight or a dog fight or a grueling fight though. I will certainly ask all these questions. I’ll do it any which way that it has to go. I’m more than confident I’ll get the job done,” said Walsh.
A lot is riding on this fight for both men. This is an opportunity for Davis to show he is in fact the next big thing like his promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. is claiming. And on the other hand, if Walsh were to come out victorious, he would become an instant star and his career would instantly take off.
Stylistically, this should be a good matchup–Davis is quicker and more aggressive, while Walsh knows how to work the ring and is intelligent with every throw. With two young, competitive fighters going toe to toe, this fight should not disappoint.
Both Davis and Walsh are looking to prove they deserve to top the Junior Lightweight division and are willing to leave it all in the ring to do so.
Will Davis’ hype train continue or will the tough Britain fighter dethrone him?
Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena, somebody’s 0 has got to go–tune into Showtime to see who ends the night with their hand raised.
