Davis to rumble with Santa Cruz
He already witnessed ‘ a miracle’ amid virus, now Santa Cruz vows to shock the world.
Davis is bigger, but local boxer Santa Cruz has experience and an emotional lif t from his father.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking to coronate pupil Gervonta Davis as the next big boxing pay- per- view attraction, but the wrecking ball knockout artist is more of a smaller Mike Tyson prototype than the new version of his mentor.
Now a promoter, Mayweather is officially ready to pass the torch to the Baltimore- bred Davis, who faces Los Angeles’ homegrown four- division champion Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday in front of a maximum limit of 10,000 socially distant fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Staging lucrative f ights requires a sweet science of skills, matchmaking and marketing, and no f ighter has done that better than Mayweather, who closed his career with 16 of his last 17 fights on pay- per- view and a 50- 0 record.
Mayweather made his maiden voyage to pay- perview in 2005 against fan favorite Arturo Gatti in arguably the most one- sided and vicious beating of the century
- 700 favorite in some sportsbooks, Davis ( 23- 0, 22 KOs) is expected to dominate the smaller Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz ( 37- 1- 1, 19 KOs) is no slouch, however, and doesn’t feel as if he signed up for a slaughter, especially after enduring one of the most turbulent times of his life during the pandemic.
The Mexico- born, Corona- based boxer felt the uncertain wrath of coronavirus f irsthand. His 18month- old daughter, Luna, caught it, as did his brother and head trainer Antonio. So did father, Jose, the patriarch of the family and parttime trainer, who was in a coma and died twice at the hospital before he was resuscitated.
“We were already planning his funeral and to bury him,” the 32- year- old Santa Cruz said. “My last few months were hard. I was crying because my dad has always been in my corner. Thinking about not having him there with me, I didn’t even know if I was going to take the fight against Davis. I couldn’t f ight without my dad. I was going through a rough time. But we prayed, and God made a miracle. He’s with us now for the biggest fight of our life.”
Jose was a picture of motivation on stage next to his son at a news conference Thursday.
When Leo won his f irst world title in 2012, he handed the belt to Jose and dedicated it to him for his coaching and perseverance in life.
Davis moved camp to Las Vegas to prepare for the biggest f ight of his life under Mayweather and lifelong coach Calvin Ford.
The . Mayweather Boxing Club in Sin City became the temple for Davis to avoid distraction.
“I believe in ‘ Tank.’ I’ve believed in him ever since he was a young kid,” Mayweather said of Davis. “He’s still a kid in my eyes, but he’s a young man now.”
Davis tipped the scales at 129.75 pounds Friday, and Santa Cruz came in at 129.5 and appearing more carved than ever.
Davis’ power has given the granite- chinned Santa Cruz cause for concern even though he’s never been knocked down.
“Hopefully we can take his punch. Gervonta can hit,” Santa Cruz said. “He’s the bigger guy, but speed and smartness defeats power, and that’s what I have to do.
“He throws everything with power and tries to knock you out. I have the reach to outbox him. That’s going to frustrate him and get him tired.”
Santa Cruz has been a champion at 118 pounds, 122, 126 and 130, but outside of his sequels with Abner Mares and Carl Frampton, who handed him his lone loss, he hasn’t been tested much or been very effective at higher weights.
“I’m not a stepping stone for anybody,” Santa Cruz said. “Gervonta is beatable, and I’m going to go out there and shock the world. A win against Gervonta will put me at the top, and I’ve already had a dream that I beat Gervonta, and my hand was raised.
“I get the f ighting spirit from my father. When I fight, it keeps my dad f ighting for his life as well. This is what motivates him. As long as my dad is alive, I will continue to fight.”