Leo Santa Cruz ‘100% SURE Gervonta Davis will be next fight

By Boxing News - 05/06/2020 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) states that he’s “100 percent” certain that his fight against unbeaten Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) will be taking place. The two will be fighting at the super featherweight limit at 130 pounds, but Santa Cruz, 31, may need to move up to 135 if Tank can’t make the weight.

Santa Cruz looked terrible in moving up to 130 against Miguel Flores last February. He beat Flores, but it was a tough fight for Santa Cruz, and he was lucky he wasn’t matched against one of the talented, super featherweight champions.

With the way Santa Cruz had problems against Flores, his fight with Tank Davis looks more like a cash grab.

Tank, 25, should have a good idea during training camp if he’ll be able to make the 130-pound limit. Sadly, Tank missed on his first weigh-in attempt at lightweight [135] for his last fight in December against Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Tank did make weight on his second try but looked terrible how he came in over the limit. This was Davis’ first fight at lightweight after campaigning at 130 for four years.

Davis vs. Santa Cruz is expected to take place on FOX Sports pay-per-view. It would be a good idea for Davis and Santa Cruz’s management to move the fight to 2021 until AFTER the pandemic ends.

Putting on a pay-per-view fight in 2020 isn’t a good idea given that few people have been working due to the U.S government shutting down things.

Image: Leo Santa Cruz '100% SURE Gervonta Davis will be next fight

Santa Cruz CERTAIN Tank Davis fight

“I’m just staying busy. You never know when they’re going to allow boxing back, and I want to be ready,” said Santa Cruz to Fighthype. “I’ve been talking, and they asked me if I want that fight. I said, ‘Yeah, I want that fight.’ We’re waiting for where it’s going to be, but I’m almost 100% it’s going to happen.

“And I think it’ll be at 130. I already moved up to 130, and I don’t want to give him a weight advantage,” said Santa Cruz on Tank Davis. “If I go up to 135, I’d be giving him an advantage because of the weight.

“He said he can still make 130. We’ve been talking, and they said that he could make 130. But if the fight can’t happen at 130, and he can’t make weight, then I’ll have to go to 135 to make the fight happen,” said Santa Cruz on his fight with Tank Davis.

Gervonta looked sluggish in beating Gamboa last December. Gamboa suffered a torn Achilles in round two, and yet it took Tank until the 12th to stop him. The only explanation that makes sense is Tank took it easy on the 38-year-old Gamboa out of sympathy. If this is how Tank is going to be fighting from now on, he’s not going to stay unbeaten for long.

The fight will probably happen, but the weight for the match-up probably won’t be to Santa Cruz’s liking. He wants to fight at a weight that Davis can’t make.

It would be a good idea for Santa Cruz to get in a fight before he faces Davis because he needs to erase the image that fans have in their minds of his poor performance against Flores.

Image: Leo Santa Cruz '100% SURE Gervonta Davis will be next fight

Shakur Stevenson wants to fight Santa Cruz

“He’s a great fighter, and for him to be wanting to fight against me, it’s great,” said Santa Cruz on Shakur Stevenson, calling him out. “It shows that he thinks I’m a great fighter, and he wants to face me. It’s going to be a great chance.

Santa Cruz now finds himself a hunted fighter at this stage in his career rather than being the hunter like earlier in his career. Not only Shakur Stevenson want him. Guys like Gary Russell Jr. and the other champions want to fight him as well.

They see Santa Cruz as a popular guy, who is now beatable at 130. That’s not his best weight class by far. Santa Cruz started his career at 115 in 2006, and he was arguably at his best at 118.

If Santa Cruz makes the mistake of fighting Stevenson, he could regret it. Facing Tank Davis is terrible enough, but Stevenson would be another poor choice for Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz reacts to Jo Jo Diaz wanting to retire Mares

“I heard that Jo Jo Diaz said he’s going to retire him,” said Santa Cruz abut Diaz calling out former three-division world champion Abner Mares. “Mares responded by saying, ‘I’m not thinking about retirement yet.’ I think it’s going to be a good fight. Jo Jo Diaz is a good fighter, and Mares is a good fighter too.

“The only thing that’s going to affect him if he takes that fight right away is the layoff. He’s been laid off for a while and hasn’t fought. I think it would be better if he first takes a fight, then goes and does it. I think it’s a great fight.

“Mares throws a lot of punches, and Jo Jo is really technical. I think that’s a great fight,” said Santa Cruz.

The 34-year-old Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) hasn’t fought in two years since his 12 round decision loss to Santa Cruz in their pointless rematch in 2018. Mares has had eye problems recently, and it’s unclear whether that continues to be an issue for him.

Mares isn’t old at 34, but he has a lot of mileage on him. Jo Jo Diaz might be too young, too strong and too rugged for Mares at this point in his career.

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