Getty Gervonta Davis is headed for two PPV bouts in 2020 if the sport can return in time, and he knows why Leo Santa Cruz and Ryan Garcia want to fight him so badly.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis is one of the most promising young fighters in boxing, and he has all the looks of the next pay-per-view star in the sport. Because of this, his name in almost every lightweight and super featherweight’s mouth. He’s undefeated, controversial and wildly popular with the younger demographic. That makes him a cash cow.
Gervonta Reveals Why Leo Santa Cruz and Ryan Garcia Want to Fight Him
Leo Santa Cruz and Ryan Garcia, two future opponents have already put their bids in to face Davis as early as this year. Santa Cruz and Davis called Davis out on multiple occasions, and appear to have gotten their wish.
In fact, per Davis, the fights with Santa Cruz and Garcia are already agreed to, and it’s just a matter of having the sport cleared to continue while the world deals with the coronavirus.
I recently spoke with Davis who says he knows why both Santa Cruz and Garcia have called him out.
Santa Cruz’s Age, Record, and Drawing Ability
Leo Santa Cruz is next in line for Gervonta Davis.
The 31-year-old Santa Cruz is 31-1-1 with 19 KOs in his career, but he has yet to establish himself as a household name. Hardcore boxing fans know exactly who the all-action, likable WBA super featherweight champion is, but there is another level of notoriety when it comes to boxing.
When casual fans know and refer to a fighter by their first name, it’s evidence of their star level and drawing power. Floyd [Mayweather], Manny [Pacquiao], and Canelo [Alvarez] are some examples, and in boxing, that notoriety is often what decides who is the A-side in the negotiations, and who cashes the biggest check.
Davis is approaching that top tier, but Santa Cruz is far from it, as he’s six years older. However, if he can fight and defeat Davis, his status in the sport will grow, and win or lose, he’ll collect the biggest payday in his career.
Ryan Garcia is a Rising Star, But…
GettyRyan Garcia has reportedly already agreed to face Gervonta Davis
Garcia, like Davis, has superstar potential. He’s only 21, has Hollywood looks and a wrecking ball of a left hook. As a Mexican-American fighter with Oscar De La Hoya helping to guide his career, Garcia could be one of the biggest stars in boxing in the next three or four years. Still, the development of Garcia’s stardom is a step or two behind Davis’ but a win over him would kick things into overdrive.
Davis alluded to specific benchmarks in Garcia’s promotional deal with his promoter Golden Boy Promotions that suggest the latter needs to generate a PPV fight with a certain number of buys to hit an incentive.
Davis believes he is the only fighter in Garcia’s weight range capable of generating the kind of numbers the latter is looking to attain.
When Will Gervonta Davis Fight Leo Santa Cruz?
Per Davis, the fight with Santa Cruz was tentatively set for June, but again, no one knows for sure when boxing can return, so those details are sketchy.
However, we do know the promoters will want to have at least 90 days to promote the fight, and it will be Davis and Santa Cruz’s first bout once the sport returns.
When Will Gervonta Davis Fight Ryan Garcia?
According to Davis, the fight with Garcia is already a done deal as well and depending on when he faces Santa Cruz, it could happen before the end of 2020.
Expect Garcia to have another stay-busy bout in the meantime, but if all goes as planned, Davis will have two huge pay-per-view bouts against Mexican stars this year.