‘Tank’ Davis stops Leo Santa Cruz in 6th at Alamodome
SAN ANTONIO – Gervonta “Tank” Davis knocked out Leo Santa Cruz with a stunning uppercut in the sixth round to retain his WBA lightweight championship and take Santa Cruz’s WBA junior lightweight title Saturday night at the Alamodome.
Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) stunned Santa Cruz with a pair of left-handed hooks to the side of the head in the sixth round to set up the final blow. With Santa Cruz retreating to his own corner, Davis delivered a left-handed uppercut to the jaw that dropped Santa Cruz immediately. Referee Rafael Ramos stepped in quickly to stop the bout 2:40 into the sixth with Santa Cruz unconscious with his right leg bent behind him.
“I’m so, so proud of him,” said Hall of Famer boxer Floyd Mayweather, who is Davis’ promoter. “I’m probably happier than he is.”
Headlining his first payper-view, Davis silenced critics who questioned his discipline due to a history of struggling to make weight. He also demonstrated his poise and repertoire at 25 years old against one of boxing’s most skilled fighters.
“That shot (the final uppercut), a couple of times (prior) he was blocking it,” Davis said. “It was stuff that, me just not going away from that punch and keep testing it.”
Santa Cruz (37-2-1) remained unconscious for a few minutes before rising with assistance and smiling while sitting on a stool to acknowledge that he was fine. Although he waved to the crowd and walked to the locker room on his own, Santa Cruz was taken to the hospital afterwards as a precautionary measure.
“I wanted to make sure he was OK,” Davis said. “We fighters, we go in there with a killer mindset at the end of the day we all have families to go home to and I definitely didn’t want anything crazy to happen to him.”
The fighters exchanged a series of blows in the opening round while standing toe to toe. Davis hit the canvas late in the opening round after taking a right hook to the jaw, but Ramos quickly ruled it a slip after the fighters got tangled up.
Santa Cruz suffered his own slip early in the second round, which led to Ramos cautioning Davis. The warning upset Davis and fueled Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz became the aggressor in the third round following his early success.
Davis responded in the fourth round with a series of heavy blows to the head that seemed to stun Santa Cruz and slowed him early in the round. Santa Cruz would rally late with an overhand right straight to the nose that caused Davis to take a couple of steps back to gather himself.
In the fifth round, Davis began to assert control with a series of body shots that slowed Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz suffered a low blow with 1:21 remaining in the sixth round, which Davis protested. This time the warning fueled Davis, who staggered Santa Cruz with two left hooks to the side of the temple. Santa Cruz smiled after the first left hook, but Davis charged at him and delivered another left hook before ending the bout with a left uppercut.