By Ken Hissner: Two of the hardest-hitting boxers today both come from the state of Maryland in Baltimore’s WBA Lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Capitol Heights WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell with a combined record of 44-0 with 42 knockout records!
Both had very good amateur careers. The now 28-year-old southpaw Davis was 205-15. Russell, now a 26-year-old, was 33-8 and an Olympian.
Davis turned pro in 2013 and blew through eight opponents without a winning record. Then he had veteran German Meraz, 47-31-1, down twice, taking a six round decision.
Davis followed what would be the first of his non-knockouts so far, including Cristobal “Lacandon” Cruz, 40-18-4. Then came his first world title win in January of 2017, knocking out IBF World Super Featherweight champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, 22-0, knocking him down and out in the seventh round at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, improving his record to 17-0, with 16 knockouts.
Davis followed his title with eight straight knockouts over such challengers as British champ Liam “Destiny” Walsh, 21-0, Francisco Fonseca, 19-0-1, Jesus “El Jinete Forastero” Cuellar, 28-2, Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz, 39-4 and Ricardo “El Cientifico” Nunez, 21-2. Then the former 2-division world champion Yuriorkis, 30-2 for the vacant WBA World Lightweight title in December of 2019, improved to 23-0.
Then Davis unified, knocking out WBA Super World Super Featherweight champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz, 37-1-1, at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas, in October 2020. Next, knocking out the WBA World Super Lightweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, 26-0, the following June at the State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia.
In December 2021, Davis won drip back to lightweight, defeating Isaac “Pit Bull” Cruz, 22-2-1, at the Staples Center, LA, by scores of 115-113 twice and 116-112. In May of 2022, he knocked out Rolando “Rolly” Romero 14-0. In his last fight, he knocked out Hector “El Androide” Luis Garcia, 16-0, in January of 2022.
In 2016, Gary Antuanne Russell at the Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Olympics, after posting a pair of wins, lost to Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin “Fayzi” Gaibnazarov in the quarter-final and is currently 11-1 as a pro.
Russell won three of four against current unbeaten Philly boxer Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 30-0, with 27 knockouts. What a showdown that would be, though currently at two different weight divisions.
Russell turned pro in May of 2017, scoring ten knockouts before his first scheduled ten round bout knocking out Juan “El Olimpico” Huertas, 14-2-1, improving to 11-0.
In Russell’s last three fights, he knocked out Jovanie “El Lobito” Santiago, 14-1-1, former WBC Super Lightweight champion Victor “The Iceman” Postal, 31-3, in February of 2022 for his first title, the WBA Continental Americas and in his last bout knocking out former two-division world champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy, 29-1-1, in July of 2022, at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Do you think there is any chance they will meet in the future?