Gervonta Davis steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight this Saturday against Rolly Romero. While ‘Tank’ has certainly not been toiling in obscurity, he has found himself operating under the wing of Floyd Mayweather. ‘Money’ makes headlines wherever he goes, and Davis has often found himself reduced to the role of sidekick. That is all set to change though, with the Romero bout being Davis’ last under contract with Mayweather. The “Mini Mayweather” era is over. The Gervonta Davis era is upon us.
The tag of “next Floyd Mayweather” is not handed out sparingly. Even in Davis’ own division, WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney is often referred to in those terms. One weight below at super featherweight, WBC and WBO boss Shakur Stevenson has been subject to the same comparisons. But the link always seemed an awkward fit for Davis.
While he is in possession of immense technical gifts, he has always seemed more bent on destruction than Mayweather. Just two fighters have heard the final bell against the Baltimore-born puncher. While ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ was notably more aggressive in his youth than he was in his more cautious later years, Davis has five more knockouts than Floyd did at the same age, despite having fought six times less than Mayweather had at that stage.
There has also been a perennial prospect status to Davis, despite his achievements. ‘Tank’ is a three-weight world champion, with wins over Yuriorkis Gamboa, Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios and Isaac Cruz under his belt. But at 27, the knockout artist is still often portrayed as more of a future hope than the finished article. This perception has come about partly due to the Mayweather connection. ‘Money’ has done an excellent job moving Davis, netting him a stack of title belts in the process. But the time feels right for the fighter to step out on his own, and shake off the perception that he is being groomed as a successor to Floyd.
Rolly Romero is a great place to start. The former WBA interim champion brings an unbeaten 14-0 record to the ring, with 12 knockouts. Despite being just a year younger than Davis at 26, he lacks the experience of the champion. Anthony Yigit and Jackson Marinez are the only fighters on his record who are even fringe world level. Compared to Davis, who has had 11 world title fights already and won them all, Romero is a relative novice.
Both fighters favour going for the stoppage, with only four of their 40 combined opponents going the distance. That should make for some exciting action while it lasts. But this does feel like Davis’ coming out party, and he’s having it against a fighter who he is likely to look good against. The step up in class is a mammoth one for Romero, and it would be a true shock to see him emerge victorious. For Davis anything other than a win is unthinkable. His bold new era requires a victory to kick it off in style.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
