By Kenneth Friedman: Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis sees a bad outcome for Leo Santa Cruz if he chooses to use his game plan of trying to pressure his Saturday night on Halloween.
Tank (23-0, 22 KOs) points out that Jose Pedraza attempted to pressure him in their fight in 2017, and he knocked him out in seven rounds.
Tank, 25, will be challenging Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) for his WBA super featherweight title on October 31st on Showtime pay-per-view. The fight card is selling for $74.99, which is a high cost for a fight that many boxing fans see as a mismatch.
Davis warns Santa Cruz about pressing him
The older fighter Santa Cruz, 32, is being given very little chance of beating Davis. Santa Cruz has said during Showtime’s All Access shows that he’s going to pressure Tank, and try and beat him with his high volume punch output.
Tank doesn’t think too much of that game plan, but Leo will likely have a plan-B that he’ll utilize if he’s not having any success pressuring Davis.
“I hear he’s going to press me out. That’s not going to be good,” said Davis to ESNEWS about Santa Cruz. “That ain’t going to be a good way to do it. [Jose] Pedraza tried to press me out.
“You saw that outcome. After this fight, I’m going to get right back in the gym,” said Gervonta.
Santa Cruz has been a pressure fighter his entire career, and it’s asking a lot of him to try and change for the Gervonta fight. He saw the success that Yuriorkis Gamboa had against Tank when he was putting pressure on him during their fight last December.
Tank wants Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell winner
“I’m going to fight the winner of Ryan and Campbell. “That’s why I’m hoping he don’t lose [to Campbell],” Gervonta said about Ryan Garcia’s huge following on social media.
“I’m going to talk to Al [Haymon]. I want the winner [of Garcia vs. Campbell]. That boy is regarded,” Tank said in reacting to Ryan Garcia saying that he’ll knock him out in two rounds.
“He’s got power too, but that ain’t s***. Great fight,” said Gervonta about the Garcia vs. Campbell fight on December 5th.
Ryan Garcia is on board with fighting Davis next if he gets past Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) in their fight on DAZN. It’s going to be interesting to see if Ryan beats Campbell, as that’s a fight that a lot of boxing fans feel he’s going to lose.
“Leo Santa Cruz is a great fighter, and we know he has a lot of experience,” said Jaime Munguia to Fighthype. “Davis’ weakness is his height, even though he’s very strong.
“Yes, that’s what I think he’s going to do because I don’t think he’s going to go toe-to-toe with Gervonta.
“That would make him into a big Mexican idol, and obviously in the United States as well,” said Munguia when asked if Santa Cruz will become a huge star if he beats Davis.