Davis, Cruz expect fireworks Sunday
Plus notes: Lomachenko-Commey undercard finalized; Olympic super heavyweight medalist Clarke going pro; Quick hits
I very much appreciate your interest in this reader-supported newsletter. With the holiday season upon us please consider giving the boxing fan in your life a gift subscription to Fight Freaks Unite!
Whether Gervonta “Tank” Davis was facing Rolando Romero, as originally scheduled, or replacement Isaac Cruz, he has a pretty good idea of what to expect.
“This is going to be a big event and an exciting fight,” Davis said at Friday’s news conference. “We’re fighters who like to come forward, and when you get these types of styles, we’re going to crash into each other.”
Davis, one of boxing’s top attractions, will defend his secondary lightweight belt when he squares off with Cruz on Sunday (Showtime PPV, 8 p.m. ET) at Staples Center in Los Angeles in what will be Davis’ third consecutive pay-per-view main event.
Davis might not be king of the deep 135-pound division — that’s new unified world champion George Kambosos — but Davis is the best known and biggest draw. That was part of the thinking when it came to deciding to place the fight on a Sunday night instead of the usual Saturday night.
“It was a team effort deciding to put the fight on Sunday,” said Floyd Mayweather, whose Mayweather Promotions promotes Davis. “The Super Bowl is on a Sunday, a lot of award shows and the NBA All-Star Game are all on Sundays. A lot of times on Saturdays, people go out to the nightclubs because they work a 9-5 and want to enjoy their Friday and Saturday. But Sunday, everyone is at home, they can sit down, enjoy the festivities and take in this great card.”
Davis (25-0, 24 KOs), 27, of southpaw from Baltimore, is returning to lightweight following a move up to junior welterweight for his last fight, when he knocked out Mario Barrios in the 11th round to win a secondary belt in an exciting fight on June 26. Now he is defending his 135-pound belt for the second time.
He was supposed to face Romero, but a month ago he was dropped from the fight due to a sexual assault allegation against him that Henderson, Nevada, police are investigating. Cruz, who was going to be on the undercard and was already training, quickly stepped in.
“The opponent change is just a part of boxing,” Davis said. “I had to adapt to it just like I’ll adapt to what Cruz brings on fight night. We changed some small things in camp, but we know our mission is to get the job done no matter who it is.”
Davis, who is 5-foot-5, will have a rare height advantage over the 5-4 Cruz, but that is not necessarily a good thing for him.
“I think fighting shorter guys is harder than fighting guys taller than me,” Davis said. “You have to punch down and find him. But I’m coming with my top game, so we’ll see how it plays out Sunday. I can’t say too much about my strategy. You’re just going to have to wait and see Sunday. He can say whatever he wants right now, but it’s different when you get hit in the face.
“Even us facing off today, I’m looking to see his height and reach and things like that. I pay attention to everything so that on fight night I’m fully prepared. I can’t say exactly what’s going to happen in the fight because that would be overlooking him. I’m not going to make the mistake other fighters have made. I’m ready to go 12 rounds and I’m looking forward to Sunday.”
Many view the Manny Pacquiao-promoted Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) 23, of Mexico, as a more formidable opponent than Romero. He has not lost since dropping an eight-rounder in 2016 and has looked very good in his last three bouts as he has stepped up his competition level. He knocked out former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno in the first round in brutal fashion in October 2020 on the Davis-Leo Santa Cruz undercard, won a unanimous decision over then-undefeated Matias Romero in March and a lopsided unanimous decision over former junior lightweight titlist Francisco Vargas on June 19.
“I’m hungrier and I’m more motivated than ever to give a great future to my wife and my son,” Cruz said of what is at stake for him against Davis. “This is my dream since I was a little kid and I am here to make that dream come true. I am going to give my all to make it happen. It’s simple. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. He has never faced anybody that fights like me before. My hunger and my will to win is unparalleled. He’s going to feel it on Sunday night.
“I’m very confident in any punch that I throw. Gervonta is a very strong fighter. I consider him the best in the division, but he’s human and he’s not impossible to beat. My goal will be to bring him down a notch and show who I am as well.”
Lomachenko-Commey undercard
Top Rank on Friday rounded out the undercard for the card headlined by former lightweight titleholders Vasiliy Lomachenko and Richard Commey on Dec. 11 (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET), which will mark the return of boxing to the main arena at Madison Square Garden in New York for the first time in two years, a gap caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Lightweight Keyshawn Davis (3-0, 2 KOs), 22, of Norfolk, Virginia, who claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer, will return to the pro ranks and have his first fight since signing with Top Rank last month. He will face Mexico native Jose Zaragoza (8-3-1, 2 KOs), 33, who has won three fights in a row and never been stopped, in a six-rounder on the main card.
In the opener of the four-fight telecast, middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (2-0, 2 KOs), 21, of Las Vegas, who is the grandson of Muhammad Ali, will face Reyes Sanchez (6-0, 2 KOs), 29, of Topeka, Kansas, in a four-rounder.
The co-feature is the previously announced eight-round heavyweight fight between Jared Anderson (10-0, 10 KOs), 22, of Toledo, Ohio, and Oleksandr Teslenko (17-1, 13 KOs), 29, a Ukraine native fighting out of Montreal.
The rest of the card, which will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET, will include six additional bouts, led by red-hot junior middleweight prospect Xander Zayas (11-0, 8 KOs), 19, a Puerto Rican from Plantation, Florida, against Italy’s Alessio Mastronunzio (9-1, 3 KOs), 26, in a six-rounder.
Also on the card:
Welterweight Pablo Valdez (5-0, 4 KOs), 38, of New York, will face Queens, New York-based Dominican Republic native Julio Cesar Sanchez (11-3, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder.
Kelvin Davis (2-0, 1 KO), 24, of Norfolk, Virginia, and the older brother of Keyshawn Davis, will face Bryan Emmanuel Ramirez (1-1-1, 1 KO), 23, of Mexico, in a four-round welterweight bout. Kelvin also signed with Top Rank last month,
John Bauza (15-0, 6 KOs), 23, of North Bergen, New Jersey, will fight Michael Williams Jr. (19-0, 12 KOs), 22, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in an eight-round junior welterweight bout.
Staten Island, New York, featherweight James Wilkins (9-2, 6 KOs), 26, will meet Juan Tapia (10-3, 3 KOs), 28, of Brownsville, Texas, in an eight-rounder.
Light heavyweight Joe Ward (5-1, 2 KOs), 28, a 2016 Irish Olympian promoted by Lou DiBella, will face Britton Norwood (10-3-1, 7 KOs), of Las Vegas, in a six-rounder.
Heavyweight Clarke going pro
Frazer Clarke, who claimed a super heavyweight Olympic bronze medal for Great Britain at this past summer’s Tokyo Games, is going pro.
Clarke has signed with promoter Boxxer and United Kingdom broadcaster Sky Sports and will be managed by former unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua’s 258 Management.
Clarke, who used to spar with Joshua before Joshua turned pro, will make his pro debut next year after a standout amateur career that also saw him claim a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2014 and 2018 European Union Championships.
“Signing with Boxxer is massive for me. Since I got back from the Olympics there’s been a lot of interest in where I was going to go,” Clarke said. “After weighing up all the options and speaking to the guys at Boxxer and Sky Sports, I came to this decision and here we are, ready to take the first step.
“There’s a long road ahead of us but I’m more than willing to learn. It’s going to be a difficult task to get to where I want to be, to become a world champion. But I want people to follow the journey because I’m sure it’s going to be exciting. Anthony Joshua is on the end of the phone and he’s one of those people that’s been there and done it. I’d be silly to have access to him and not use it. Definitely that will be a phone call I’m looking forward to.”
Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom, whose company landed a deal with Sky Sports when Matchroom Boxing left when its contract expired in June, was thrilled to land Clarke.
“For the Team GB captain to choose us as his partners in professional boxing is a very proud moment for everyone at Boxxer and Sky Sports. Frazer Clarke is an outstanding sportsman and role model and we are very excited about the journey which lies in front of us.
“This is a landmark signing for us. Frazer is the next big thing in British heavyweight boxing and now coming off his success in Tokyo he’s set on winning major world titles in the professional ranks. With his pedigree, I think it’s only a matter of time.”
Sky Sports has televised big-time boxing in the U.K. for decades, including all of Joshua’s pro fights following his gold-medal run at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Everyone at Sky Sports is hugely excited that Frazer Clarke has signed a promotional deal with Boxxer. It’s a massive announcement in our new era for Sky Sports Boxing,” said Adam Smith, head of boxing development at Sky Sports. “I’ve been a huge fan of ‘Big Fraze’ for years. He’s a high-class heavyweight with an all-action style, and he’s also a great ambassador for the sport. We at Sky Sports will be with Frazer on every step of the journey as he aims to fulfill his ambition of becoming a world heavyweight champion.”
Quick hits
Weights from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing card (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET): Devin Haney 135 pounds, Joseph Diaz Jr. 134.4 (for Haney’s WBC lightweight title); Montana Love 143.8, Carlos Diaz 139.8; Jessica McCaskill 146, Kandi Wyatt 146.2 (for McCaskill’s undisputed women’s welterweight title); Filip Hrgovic 246.8, Emir Ahmatovic 228.4; Marc Castro 136.4, Ronaldo Solis 130.8; Austin Williams 160, Quatavious Cash 160; Alexis Espino 167.4, Rodolfo Gomez 168; Amari Jones 160, Timothy Lee 159.4; Ricardo Sandoval 111.8, Carlos Buitrago 113.
Heavyweight contender Michael Hunter (20-1-2, 14 KOs), of Las Vegas, escaped with a controversial split draw against southpaw Jerry Forrest, (26-4-2, 20 KOs), of Newport News, Virginia, in the main event of the Triller card on Thursday night at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Forrest seemed to get the better of the action against Hunter, who did not appear to be in the best condition but the judges had it 96-94 Hunter, 96-94 Forrest and 95-95 in a rematch Hunter’s eight-round decision win in 2014. Also on the card: heavyweight George Arias (17-0, 7 KO’s), of Bronx, New York, dominated Cassius Chaney (21-1, 14 KOs), of New London, Connecticut, but was given only a split decision win, 99-91 and 97-93 for Arias and 96-94 for Chaney, and southpaw Mike Balogun (18-0, 14 KOs), of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, destroyed Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Trey Lippe-Morrison (18-1, 17 KOs), the son of the late heavyweight star Tommy Morrison, dropping him twice in a first-round knockout.
Former unified cruiserweight titlist Murat Gassiev (28-1, 21 KOs), 28, of Russia, will partake in his third fight since moving up to heavyweight when he meets Andriy Rudenko (34-5, 20 KOs), 38, of Ukraine, for a vacant regional belt on Dec. 25 in Estosadok, Russia, according to co-promoter Warriors Boxing. Gassiev’s only loss came by lopsided decision to Oleksandr Usyk when they met for the undisputed cruiserweight title in the World Boxing Super Series final in July 2018. Gassiev has only fought twice since, mainly due to injuries. He has won both of his heavyweight bouts by knockout, most recently by fourth-round stoppage of Michael Wallisch on July 22.
Eye of the Tiger Management announced that to celebrate its 10-year anniversary it will put on a trio of upcoming events — Jan. 22, Feb. 19 and March 26 — at the Montreal Casino in Montreal. It announced the main event of the first card next month, which will see heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov (13-0, 13 KOs), 32, a Russia native fighting out of Montreal, take on former world title challenger Mariusz Wach (36-7, 19 KOs), 41, of Poland, who is coming off a 10-round decision loss to Hughie Fury last December.
Show and tell
In 2008, in a massively anticipated fight, Mexico’s Antonio Margarito came on strong down the stretch and stopped a bloodied Miguel Cotto in the 11th round to take his welterweight world title. In his next fight, Margarito was set to defend against Shane Mosley but was caught in the dressing room with illegal pads coated in a plaster-like substance. He was forced to have his hands re-wrapped before Mosley kicked his ass in a one-sided ninth-round knockout, leading many to strongly believe that Margarito had gotten away with cheating in past fights, including against Cotto.
When they finally met in a bitter grudge match in front of Cotto’s crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden in one of the most electric atmospheres I’ve ever been in, Cotto exacted sweet revenge as he retained his junior middleweight world title. He battered Margarito’s already damaged right eye in a dominating performance that was stopped seconds into the 10th round on advice of the ringside doctor due to the damage to the eye. I’ve covered boxing for a long time and do not root for fight outcomes, but I strongly believe Margarito cheated in the first fight against Cotto and made an exception on that night. I very much wanted to see Cotto give Margarito a beating, which he did in one the most satisfying fights I have ever covered. That fight was on Dec. 3, 2011 — 10 years ago on Friday. Here is the ringside credential in my collection.
Davis-Cruz photo: Esther Lin/Showtime; Davis/Arum photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Clarke photo: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer; Haney-Diaz photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing
A quick note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: If you have upgraded to a paid subscription, thank you! If you have not, please consider doing so to receive the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I hope you see value in getting timely and accurate news and information, and (hopefully) entertaining commentary and audio content, delivered directly to your inbox. You don’t have to look for boxing news and commentary, it comes to you. Please support independent boxing journalism.
I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 20-plus years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
To upgrade your subscription please go here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
Great Stuff. Dan Rafael has always gave you the most of amount of quality information. Going all the way back to the pre internet days. You’d have to buy a USA Today and read Dan’s articles for the only real in depth coverage of the sport. Thanks!
I passed on buying the fight last night. It didn’t have the gravitas to compel me to shell out $80 and stay up on a Sunday night.