It’s a smashing success
Davis calls it ‘a win for Baltimore,’ retains title with 2nd-round TKO Fans celebrate Davis’ returning championship boxing to the city
In the end, reality surpassed fantasy for Gervonta Davis.
For more than two years, he’d campaigned to defend his world title in Baltimore, promising a grand party if the homecoming fight ever happened. But he never expected to hear his supporters, almost 15,000 of them, roaring from every corner of Royal Farms Arena on Saturday night.
Seconds earlier, he’d landed a series of explosive left hands to bring a quick end to Ricardo Núñez’s challenge for his World Boxing Association super featherweight championship. Referee Harvey Dock had stepped in to protect the Panamanian fighter as Davis pummeled him along the ropes.
The stoppage at 1 minute, 33 seconds of the second round brought an abrupt but satisfying conclusion to the hometown showcase Davis had coveted for so long.
“It was actually better than I thought it would be,” he said.
Abdul Shkur had waited the better part of his life to watch a homegrown boxing talent the quality of Gervonta Davis fight in Baltimore.
So Shkur got to his seat at Royal Farms Arena early Saturday, already charged with anticipation for Davis’ World Boxing Association super featherweight title defense against Ricardo Núñez.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” said the 48-yearold Shkur, who lives in Guilford and grew up in Sandtown-Winchester, just like Davis. “Hasim Rahman tried to bring a fight here, but it didn’t happen. And for this kid, not even a heavyweight, to make that happen, I think not only was it good for the city, but it’s inspiration for the kids coming up in the gym behind him.”
Baltimore had not hosted a world championship fight in 49 years, since hard-punching light heavyweight Bob Foster knocked out Mark Tessman in June 1970 at the Civic Center.
Davis made it his mission to change