Gervonta “Tank” Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) scored a brutal sixth round knockout against Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 KOs) in a bout for both the WBA super featherweight and WBA lightweight championships on Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Good two-way action throughout until Tank laid out Santa Cruz with a left uppercut. Time was 2:40. Devastating!
“The uppercut wasn’t the key coming into the fight, but I adapted to what he was bringing,” said Davis. “I knew he was taller and crouching down and moving forward. Once he moved forward, I tried to jab and make him run into the shot. He was right there for it. He punches, but he doesn’t try to get out of the way. There was nowhere for him to go on that knockout because I got him into the corner.
“Leo is a tough warrior and a strong Mexican fighter. He came ready for me. I was just the better fighter tonight. I want to maintain both belts. Whatever decision me and my team comes up with, we’ll go with it. I’m not ducking or dodging anybody. I’m a pay-per-view star. Everybody knows I’m number one and I showed it tonight.”
“We didn’t get the win, but I’m okay,” said Santa Cruz, who was taken to a nearby hospital for observation.
That was a heck of a fight. Even though I predicted Tank to win, I didn’t think he would stop Leo via brutal KO. Leo was giving him all he could handle up until the KO, imo.
Aye. After first three rounds leo looked good. That left though.
That was a thumping upper cut. Wow!
that left hand came from way down low. Perfect punch that would have knocked out many
Deadly uppercut, I want score card
I hope Davis start to face the real guys at 135. He has what it take to give boxing fan real great fights.
I don’t want him facing shot or overmatched guys any more. No more Gamboas, Mares, Cuatito Ruiz, Santa Cruz. Is time to face guys like the winner of Campbell vs. Kingry, Haney, Lomachenko, Lopez or at least Kamboso. For sure he is ready
He will Murder Ryan Garcia lol, Loma is a fraud n needs to retire, but yes to Haney, Teo…
Loma is anything but a fraud. He loses a fight against big talented lightweight and that makes him a fraud and all his quality wins during his career don’t mean anything based on your comments. Bad take Loma is a terrific fighter lost a fight it happens.
Yeah that guy knows nothing about boxing. Loma lost to a much bigger guy and the figjt was alot closer than the scores read. He will be back.
Loma should gave never been named the p4p #1 fighter thats for sure not with a 14 and 1 record is he good yes p 4 p no Lopez took him to school
Loma is no fraud.
Santa Cruz landed clean on him multiple times. Who hits harder?
IMO, Davis should be the favorite vs. Garcia, but if Ryan lands clean on him, Gervonta will get more than a bruised eye.
Don’t forget, Ryan isn’t Santa Cruz, he is a 10 years younger full fledged lightweight, almost 5 inches taller than Davis. It won’t be an easy fight.
Ryan beats Davis within 4 rds.
Why is Loma a fraud? Cause he got beat by a bigger guy who’s a puncher. It’s like aTeofimo going to 147 and facing Spence. How do you think that will be End.
Good example!
Ryan is a 50/50 fight. Ryan can also ice Tank with his polarizing power too. He has a significant height and reach adv. I don’t see any fight against any top lightweight an easy fight for Tank in fact I think he will be pushed to his limits and may fall. LSC was patent made for Tank.
And you are an asshole !! Loma is one of the goats !! He suffered a defeat against a bigger men who doesn’t want to give him a rematch because Loma would beat him this time.. Ryan Garcia is a terrific fighter and the way you talk about fighters means that you never ever entered the squared circle yourself.. and you must be a frustrated black men who discredits all the non black fighters… I know one like you.. Loma 397 amateur fight and 396 wins, 2 times olympic gold medalist and two times amateur world champ ; 16 pro fights 3 weight classes world champ; 14 wins 2 losses and one was a robbery against a frustrated Salido who hit him in the balls all night long like and one defeat against Lopez who is much stronger and younger… Loma is one of the best fighter to ever lace a pair of gloves and i hate guy’s like you; just fucking casuals who don’t know shit about boxing.. Just a piece of trash who achieved nothing in his life i guess or probably a 10 years old.. We are a bunch of die hard boxing fans, allways the same who are commenting on fights and boxing in general; we don’t need guy’s like you GTFO please.
Well said Regis!!! This is how some boxing fans are though. Their on ur side for years and turn the moment u take a loss instead of encouraging u to get back in there. Those type of fans shld jus go away. Its unfortunate that there are shitty people out there
What a horrible comment! You just want to put down black people by putting your racism off on them. You act like Loma is your relative or god. Just sad. Too much emotion and hate. Pathetic
Tank was amazing and is a force to be reckoned with. No matter his color we can all agree he is great
Régis your part of Loma and his achievements are spot on. How boxing fans (trolls?) sit and hang around for a great boxer to slip up and lose a fight and then turn on the hate is beyond understanding. They can’t be fans of the sport but just bitter people or something.
You can’t get upset if someone doesn’t have the same view as you regarding boxing. Loma is good but not one of the greatest to lace up he has 2 losses in less than 20 fights that’s the facts. Please stop with the he got beat a bigger fighter argument no one said that when Rigo came up a couple weight divisions and Loma beat him all his fans were calling him Nomachenko. The greats adapt and find ways to win Mayweather, Pac-Man and many others they faced bigger fighters and prevailed. Loma doesn’t deserve a rematch Teo explained why he’s not giving a rematch he said Loma’s camp was so sure he’d win they said no rematch clause and because Teo was the B-side he had to except those terms so now that he’s lost he wants a rematch. When Mayweather fought Canelo he was older than Loma and was out weighed by more and he still dominated the fight that’s what you’d call one of the greatest no excuses. Oh and by the way Teo just had foot surgery for the fracture he suffered during the fight, he didn’t use any excuses he stood his ground and won!!!
He was able to handle Santacruz because Leo is not a heavy puncher, even in his best division. I don’t like Ryan Garcia but he punches harder and has a chance to hurt him, Lomachenko will outbox him. That’s my opinion.
They need to face eachother not just him they all avoid eachother to keep that no loss on there record!
No Floyd has a plan. It’s to low ball every rightful champion and top challenger demanding for 70/30, 85/15 against Teo who will just like the rest rightfully decline and move up to fight at higher weights so Floyd could get those easy vacated belts from non deserving opposition for Tank and everyone will fall in love with his power and be bamboozled into believing he’s a great.
lol Ryan Super Hype Garcia is garbage Tank Davis needs to fight the winner of the rematch between Lomachencko and Lopez
Tank Davis needs to fight the winner of the Lomachenko and Lopez rematch not some super hype job like Ryan King of beating Home depot workers Garcia
I agree, Davis need to move up permanently to 135, he can handle any fighter in that division.
That is what boxing needed!
Great performance by both fighters. Davis is incredibly powerful. Would love to see Teofimo Vs Davis.
I would too but I know there is no way in hell mayweather makes that fight. Santa Cruz is a small JR lightweight and he gave tank all he could ask for. I commend davis for hanging tough and landing the big shot but he was hurt and looked bad against a smaller fighter with no power. Lopez is a monster at lightweight! Tank is no Loma, he would get dominated. Zero chance this fight happens. And again the judges should be fired. Leo was winning hands down. He went all out for his but if he didn’t get the KO they were never giving him the decision.
B.S.!!!!
oh please before everybody starts saying anything there has to be a rematch between Lomachenko and Lopez nobody is talking about how Loma gave away the first 6 rounds stop all this BS talk about how Lopez was dominating and his power this and that hell he never landed a clean blow on Loma in the first 6 rds it was just a terrible gameplan on Lomas part once Loma started fighting Lopez could do NOTHING but catch Lomas punches with his face, i think in the rematch Loma beats weight bully Lopez but if Lopez runs from a rematch and signs to fight Tank he will get KOd worse than Santa Cruz
Watch the Loma vs Lopez in slo-mo, you’ll see an entirely different fight. Most of the punches Lopez threw were blocked by Loma.
Kit Carson, I agree but the problem is I saw loma do very little every round until the last 4. Lopez looked like the aggressor. I think loma just miscalculated in his strategy.
I concur with your statement. Loma was blocking most punches for 1st half first-half of the fight then came on in the later rounds, but by then it was a bit too late to catch up.
Kit, as long the punches land on any part of opponent’s body, and there is zero response, the judges have no choice but to give the round to the most active fighter.
The first six rounds were almost a replica of the fight between Nonito Donaire vs. Omar Narvaez or Pacquiao vs. Clottey.
Only one boxer in boxing history has won a round with out throwing a single punch. Lomachenko is a lot distant to be like him
You are not correct in that assertion. Willie Pep, won a round without throwing punches. Research your history, before making historical statements.
Actually that fight that Pep supposedly won a round without throwing a punch is wrong. It was a his bout against Jackie Graves, who was a very good fighter and I’ve read several contemporary reports of the fight and nowhere does it say that Pep won a round without throwing a punch…that’s just one of the “tall-tales” that boxing history is full of. It was probably started by Nat Fleischer, who was never one to shy away from making outrageous myth’s, but the actual truth of it is that Pep never won a round without throwing a punch. As to Loma…he is really a featherweight who had to move up to find competition. Nicholas Waters was a beast a Loma made him quit on his stool and he did the same thing against the Cuban Guillermo, who himself was one of the top boxers in recent memory yet Loma made him quit in his corner. Loma is as talented a fighter as there is in boxing. But when a fighter is actually a featherweight fighting a very strong welterweight…well that’s a tough task for anyone…just ask Joey Gamache about his bout with Gatti! Loma simply started too late, but if it had been a 15 round fight Loma would have won!
Stop making excuses for Loma’s loss your saying Loma’s too small for lightweight but u give him credit for beating Rigo who was a bantamweight. The double standards are killing me are turning the blind eye when it’s the fighter you like. He lost plain and simple and I like the guy he’s a very good fighter that got beat by a better fighter. Pleas stop with the he did this and that in the second half of the fight compubox shows he was out landed in total punches as well as power punches so how did he win the fight and I don’t need to see it in slow motion I saw it live and scored 8-4 in rounds. Instead of giving Tank his just due the salty Loma fans on his tread discrediting his win to still cry about his loss damn shame. And for the record just because you fight in a smaller weight class don’t mean you’re always the smaller fighter some guys cut more weight and are comfortable doing it Leo actually looked like the bigger fighter in the ring.
Why would anyone want to watch that snooze fest in slo-mo? So we can see Loma run in slow motion? Smh
analyzing this fight, i think Davis would be easily beaten by Loma.
Not that this means anything but Davis crushed Pedraza and Loma went the distance so what’s the reasoning to you thinking Lima beats him easy? Other than being a Loma fan, Loma’s good but some people think he’s a god and he’s not lots of great fighters lose it happens just except it and move on.
Simple answer Pedraza tried to trade with Tank and was willing to sacrifice on the inside. He didn’t do that with Loma. If Pedraza would’ve tried to do what he did with Tank to Loma he would’ve suffered the same fate only more of a one sided affair.
Doctor Ferdie Parcheco once
said after a beaten fighter talked of a rematch to the Dr. and he said. You want him? You just had him..
Who’s Parcheeco?
Dude. Punctuation
Dude. Punctuation.
Loma who? The guy who was pound for pound best with 15 fights, the one who fought a little Rigoneaux? The only good fighters Loma fought were Salido and Teofimo Lopez, both beat him. Who ever designated a 14 fights fighter to pound for pound were silly spectators and non fighters. No one can be pound for pound at 14 fights unless they at at least beat 3 great fighters. ,dominate a division for a time and overcome and adjust adversity. Pound for Pound should be for those who actually pay the price, Canelo, Crawford, Spence, Loma was exposed.
I agree 100% Loma was and is very overrated
What about beating Gary Russell?
Lima said out of his own mouth Lopez’s size reach and power prevented him in the early rounds do your research.
Tank was never hurt he started walking him down watch the fight!!!
what kinda marijuna have you been smoking loma is week fights bums davis is much better loma is the great white joke
no contest davis will crush him
no contest davis will destroy him thats why lopez will not fight him
Santa Cruz wasn’t a shot fighter in his prime, 32 yrs old, giving as good as he got. He abandoned his good game plan, fighting from the outside. It is always a mistake, to stand in front of any big puncher. Ex; Foreman, Tyson, Shavers, Duran, Trinidad, Inoue, Tank Davis, hopefully Leon can bounce back from this, classy fighter.
Interesting! Gervonta Davis’ punches work on other boxers, not just ladies?
wow…sounds like you truly have personal problem with davis. or maybe just looking for a legit reason to hold an irrational hate of the man.
I knew Tank would win its his time and season to be blessed.
Time for the young lions great for boxing one problem to many belts clean it up its not good for boxing n get rid of those trowback judges
It was a bad decision for Leo to go toe to toe with tank and we all know that bad decisions lead to last decisions
It was a good fight…. Santa Cruz was hanging… just got a lil reckless in the 6th
Wooow!! On 10/31/20, that uppercut was constructed by a smiling ‘Michael Myers.’ I hope SC turns out well for himself and for his family.
From round one, Davis had three (3) goals in the mighty State of Texas:
1) Walk down the smaller, lighter punching opponent, even at the risk of getting outhustled in the early rounds.
2) Touch up his opponent with solid body shots.
3) Get inside and threw a series of uppercuts until he lands an atomic blast uppercut for a TKO victory or for a KO victory.
Mission completed.
Davis was fully aware of the Texas emotional support for SC, and Davis DID NOT want the fight to reach the judges in mighty Texas. Davis did what a larger puncher should do against a naturally smaller fighter. I prefer to see Davis at 130, but he will need to maintain discipline at the dinner table (eye wink) – Berchelt or Valdez will give Davis hell. However, I understand there are “larger” opponents at 135 ($$$).
I love Texas, but I would strongly advise Davis’ team/staff to avoid future PPV fights in Texas (money often talks though).
Davis accomplished an explosive PPV victory.
I see a good fight between he and Berchelt. With Valdez I see the same thing that happened with Santa Cruz.
I watched the Davis-Santa Cruz fight in bits and pieces because my main focus was on the Naoya Inoue-Jason Moloney fight on ESPN+. It looked like a competitive fight and Davis did land that uppercut several times in the early rounds. However, Leo never did see the final uppercut that that put him down for a few minutes.
It did look like Santa Cruz was doing well in the early rounds and was actually landing well to the body before the knockout blow. The official judges had Davis ahead 48-47 when the fight ended. I figured Davis would be too quick and powerful for Santa Cruz, but I didn’t expect a one-punch knockout.
Great victory for Davis. He look his lumps but prevailed over a Santa Cruz who fought him on even terms and bruised him up before he got hit by that uppercut. Davis should now move up to the lightweight division. He’ll have a lot of competition in that weight class.
Why would your focus be on the mismatch vs the competitive fight? Inoue dick ball licker?
AP, Davis is already at LW. Not sure what you mean?
The fight was at Jr. Lightweight. At least on the weight in, where Davis had to step naked to the scale to make the contract weight
It was a junior lightweight fight. Tank actually came in below the 130 lb limit, which a lot of people didn’t think he could do.
i actually had it same as steve farhood. 4 rounds to 1 for davis. i gave lsc the third round. but it was a clearly dominant win for tank. he outslugged the fearless brawler. pressured lsc and hurt him from the opening bell. attacked when he wanted and stalked as he pleased. that leo was flinching from tanks feints is proof of how out of his element he was. tank completely took the play away from leo. sure, there were people who were only capable of seeing that leo was landing shots. But what they missed was that it was tank walking through leos punches and it was tank backing up leo. that ko shot was the most dramatic, sudden, explosive thing i have EVER seen in boxing match. reminded me of tyson-spinks for the sheer violent, shocking impact. punch of the decade.
cruz definitely isnt a brawler. hes a polished boxer. he was outclassing davis, but those shots took their toal.
you have obviously never seen leo santa cruz fight before. he is known as a brawler who overwhelms opponents with sheer volume. far from polished. davis is the polished guy. but tonight davis strategy was to beat leo at his own game to put a stamp on his dominance.
Okay Tank, fighting older and smaller fighters is over and it’s time for you to take on a legitimate lightweight in their prime. Every one of these NABE fighters are protected.
Leo is in his prime same age as Loma just goes be Tank his credit!!!
Funny how that leads to him fighting Loma who’s the same age but Loma’s not too old and gets a pass until he loses and says his shoulder hurts.
sweet sweet fight, Cruz definitely held the technical edge, and truly put up a great fight, but at the end of the day those power shots added up. KINGREY NEXT!!!!
no technical edge for leo. he was being baited into throwing so davis could catch him with counters.
Fightfan, that’s the thing with Leo. He only fights one way and many times it means he’s going to leave himself open.
All credit should go to Mayweather he gave tank advice in the corner they change the outcome of the fight he put his hands up over his face and walk straight to Leo landing hard shots body body head outstanding adjustment because before that Leo was having success
The fight game is about adjusting and re-adjusting under pressure
Obvious, but a good reminder, point, re adjusting. Many good boxers just stay good boxers, but never great boxers because they don’t have this ability.
Makes me think of Parker, he does not seem to be able to adjust, so stays a good heavyweight, but would be so much better if he were able to adjust more under and putting on pressure.
Kamboso in 2!
I told them he was no match
Of course he wasn’t. Santa Cruz was too small for his punches to have any effect and too small to take shots the way he’s used to at lower weights classes.
Tank looked well,but Devin Haney or Isaac Cruz would’ve been a better test for him,,my hat and heart goes off to Santana Cruz and his Father
Tank got outboxed for the most part by a fat bantamweight. He wont live with Lopez. The fight was free in the Uk on channel 5. Tv companies knew Brits wouldnt pay for this.
what fight was u watching?
Fat bantamweight? Wow!!
That was a tremendous shot by Tank to end it. Reminded me of Aaron Pryor.
Davis was exposed, he was also getting hit.
Robert Ramos, yes he was but Santa Cruz just didn’t gave the pop at that weight class.
Whetto, I am wondering. How Gervonta might react if he gets hit the same way as Santa Cruz did on him by a full fledged lightweight like Teofimo Lopez or Ryan Garcia?
Tank has spared these guys and bigger guys so he already knows how they hit
Duh, getting hit is part of fighting
“exposed”? This sport is called “Boxing”. It’s hand-to-hand combat by highly skilled professionals. Fighters do get hit in this sport, even those who are winning. That uppercut by Tank to end it was wicked and impressive. The precision, power, timing, delivery – all marks of a great fighter with that shot. He was fighting a taller man and had to take a few to get in close. Tank won decisively, Mr. Ramos. Transcend race here and give credit where it’s due.
Fighters who are winning fights do get hit too, and Tank was matched here against a talented fighter in Cruz. Give credit where it’s due. That was a tremendous shot by Tank that ended it in decisive fashion. The power, precision, and timing of that shot was quite impressive. An uppercut like that, timed perfectly, with such a result, is always an impressive punch, and we don’t see it executed that often with such a result.
Santa Cruz was used to leaving himself open and taking a shot like that in the lower weights against smaller guys and just walking right through it. You just can’t keep doing that when the opponents are bigger.
Up until the knockout Santa Cruz was in the fight. Davis was taking too many shots early on. Davis, in my opinion, is very fortunate that Santa Cruz lacked true knockout power. Although Davis is a great fighter, against a boxer/puncher he may put himself in jeopardy. Leaving that right out there too long cost Santa Cruz the fight. It was the only time he did that. Davis knew if Santa Cruz took beyond 6 he faced the possibility of his first loss. He went for it and landed the shot that was picture perfect! Great fight and 2 great fighters! what boxing needed! my score 3-1-1 Santa Cruz before knockout.
I was on the fence on this one and went with Santa Cruz because of his records and past championships. I don’t mind to say that I was mistaken but Man, was I wrong… Tank gets all the recognition he deserves…
Great fight. Leo showed me something last night. Tank needs to avoid Haney as long as possible. A fight with Lopez would be fireworks.
This reminded me of Bob Foster moving up to challenge Smokin Joe. Boxing people knew how this was gonna’ end.
As good a Bob was the power difference was impossible.
Davis is good but let’s not forget he was getting his ass kicked before the ko. It’s the reason they fight small dudes. Just in case that happens. Time to Step up and see him vs another puncher in his division or bigger. Win then and Then Ill jump on the wagon. But for now these dudes gotta stop fighting smaller men. Only casuals fall for that stuff.
Do some of you have eye cataracts? Santa Cruz had excellent boxing skills and amazing footwork giving Tank fits for several rounds. I even though at one point he might lose. Hence his frustration when he threw him to the canvas. Look how close the cards were. Like what? One point. but the power shots caught up. A brawler has few skills other that the ability to take a punch and often than not a hard hitter. Santa Cruz a pure brawler. Sorry man………………………. you don’t know the sport.
Cruz has skills but he should of used the ring stay out of the corners & off ropes, sitting in front of tank and exchange punches was a bad choice ,
You must have missed the body attack tank was launching. Maybe you lost your glasses
Who cares if you are skilled and refined when you get decapitated by a one hitter quitter? Tank adjusted to the lazy jab of SC and blasted him. That’s boxing.
Let Tank go to 140 and get some Regis. THAT is the fight right there guys. I got Prograis!
Hater
Great ko tank , Cruz should never just sit in front of tank and exchange punches , bad strategy and made it easier for tank to pick his shot ,
Santa Cruz was holding his own till the 6th round. That uppercut was devastating though.
I just hope they dont rematch, this is what I predicted, I like both fighters, I think it would be the same, leo just doesn’t have the power that tank has
I would loooooove to see Davis vs. Berchelt, PERO not in Texas.
Santa Cruz has always been an arm puncher with a puncher’s heart. Throw 1000 from close range and land 300. It’s a pretty good style but tough to maintain when most high level fights go the 12 round distance. Davis was the perfect foil. Compact, durable and explosive. Good fight. No big surprise it ended with one big shot coming from Davis. A+ for Davis having the acumen to have the perfect punch at the perfect time.
Its a shame Lopez Vs Davis wont happen anytime soon.
It all started with the low blow, Leo didn’t give himself time to recover and got nailed. Perhaps the low blow was deliberate.
And………………..what a class act wearing the mexican flag for shorts and the sombrero. I’m just hoping teen idol media/twitter sensation Kingry Garcia steps up to the plate. Because of the…………………………height and reach advantage that is so………………impregnable. The 50s hair dooo. Thats so……so…………..perfect. Taking Seventeen magazine by storm. Girls gone wild. lol
Leo should hv continue to box from outside and to the body and move away from left
I finally watched the Davis-Santa Cruz fight in its entirety and these are my impressions. Although Santa Cruz was doing well in the early rounds, Davis started landing to the body after the 2nd and Leo was really feeling it. He looked like he was fighting with desperation in the 5th and started going to the body in the 6th. However, it looked like it was just a matter of time before Davis connected solidly because Santa Cruz was trading punches with him.
My thought before the fight was that Davis would be too quick and powerful for Santa Cruz and I was right. Leo just didn’t punch hard enough to bother Tank. If you look closely at how the fight was progressing in the 5th, it seemed inevitable to me that Tank would catch up to him and do a lot of damage in the next few rounds.
Davis was always flashing that uppercut/hook in almost every round. He wasn’t connecting often but it was having an effect. Once he forced Santa Cruz to the ropes in the 6th, the opportunity for the perfect punch came and Leo never saw it coming.
Leo’s corner was telling him the last 6 rounds would be his. I disagree. The damage that Tank was doing, especially to the body, had already slowed Santa Cruz enough that he was forced to actually fight instead of moving and boxing. In my opinion, the ending was inevitable. It just happened a lot quicker and more explosive than anyone expected.
My boy
APDuuenas that was a perfect description of the fight.