Gervonta Davis came through a tough test thanks to some help from Floyd Mayweather, Vasyl Lomachenko is back with a vengeance and Dillian Whyte could be heading to America this summer. Here are five boxing stories you might have missed this weekend.
Gervonta Davis Drops Mario Barrios Three Times En Route To KO Win
Gervonta Davis was spurred on by some sage wisdom from mentor Floyd Mayweather en route to an 11th round TKO win over Mario Barrios in Atlanta on Saturday night, claiming the WBA ‘regular’ super-lightweight strap in the process.
The Baltimore native dropped the Texan twice before ending proceedings in the eleventh with a vicious uppercut that brought Barrios to his knees, forcing the referee to call a halt to the bout.
Although Davis lived up to his ‘Tank’ moniker once again, bringing his undefeated record to 25-0 (24), it wasn’t plain sailing for the 26-year-old and Mayweather, working Davis’ corner, had to issue a rallying cry to his protege, insisting he was behind on the cards going into the ninth.
“I was definitely having fun in there, I was nervous the whole night because I did not know if I would hurt him because he is two weight classes heavier,” Davis said after the fight.
“Floyd was telling me to press him but I did not want to get caught.
“Floyd told me I was down on the unofficial scorecards around round seven or eight so I had to pick it up and show my greatness.”
Vasyl Lomachenko Stops Masayoshi Nakatani, Calls Out Teofimo Lopez
Vasyl Lomachenko was back to his very best this weekend, stopping Masayoshi Nakatani inside nine rounds in Las Vegas and he swiftly set his sights upon a rematch with Teofimo Lopez.
Lomachenko dropped his Japanese opponent in the fifth round and then again in the ninth to finish the fight, marking an impressive return to the ring for the Ukrainian who was beaten in his last outing against Teofimo Lopez back in October.
"Everybody saw me, everybody saw how I won and everybody has been waiting for the rematch, so let's make a rematch," said Lomachenko after the win.
"He has a fight in the future with [George] Kambosos but after, how about after? December, January, February. I am waiting."
Julio Cesar Martinez Retains WBC Flyweight Strap
WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez says he wants to unify the division after stopping Joel Cordova in the sixth round in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Martinez has established himself as one of the most destructive punchers in boxing, and his KO win over Cordova is his 14th stoppage win in 19 fights as a professional. Cordova was sent to the canvas by a ruthless left hook and Martinez, notorious for his finishing, unleashed a barrage of shots that left the referee with little choice but to stop the fight.
"I am grateful to the team and we're aiming to stay at flyweight and unify the titles," said Martinez.
"I am so happy my family and my fans are here in Mexico for me and to support me this evening.
"He was as tough as I expected, a great fighter and we're all here to win, so all respect to him. Now I want to unify next."
Manny Pacquiao Faces Breach Of Contract Lawsuit
Manny Pacquiao is reportedly facing a breach of contract lawsuit for setting up a fight with Errol Spence Jr in August, according to The Athletic.
Audie Attar, who runs Paradigm Sports Management, claims that he was in the process of negotiating a fight between the Filipino and four-weight champion Mikey Garcia on Pacquiao's behalf when the fight with Spence was scheduled. He is reportedly attempting to recoup a $3.3million advance from Pacquiao and is seeking an injunction against the Spence fight.
Spence Jr vs Pacquiao is shaping up to be one of the most tantalising fights of 2021 and it would be a crying shame, especially after the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua debacle, should we lose another mega-fight over legal reasons.
Dillian Whyte Could Fight Unbeaten American In August
Dillian Whyte is expected to fight in America for the second time in his career this August, with the heavyweight looking likely to fight the unbeaten Jermaine Franklin.
WBC ‘interim’ champion Whyte is looking to step up his pursuit of a big name fight Stateside and a fight against Franklin, which would be his second in America, could put him in the frame for a future showdown with the likes of Andy Ruiz Jr or Deontay Wilder. Franklin has fought 20 times as a professional, winning them all and stopping 13 of his opponents inside the distance.
Whyte’s first bout in the US was against Malcolm Tann in 2017, which he won by stoppage.
