‘Show me that you’re great’: Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis claims dramatic late KO after Mayweather rallying cry (VIDEO)
Floyd Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis left it late to secure a knockout of the previously unbeaten Mario Barrios on Saturday, landing the fight-ending shot after Mayweather told him that he was down on the unofficial cards.
The undefeated Davis moved up two weight divisions to challenge Barrios for the WBA's 'regular' super-lightweight title in Atlanta, Georgia, eventually adding further gold to his already overflowing trophy cabinet - but it didn't come without a few nervy moments.
The opening exchanges were cautious ones but Barrios began to see success in the third, landing repeated right hands which prompted the 26-year-old American fighter to whizz sequences of shots back with varying degrees of success.
Barrios, who came into the fight with a perfect 26-0 record, soon found his groove and the fight began to fall into a rhythm of the bigger man keeping Davis on the outside in search of chinks in El Azteca's armor.
Barrios' right hand was beginning to dictate proceedings but Davis engineered an opening in the eighth and tumbled his opponent to the canvas with a clubbing right hook. 'Tank' poured forward in search of the finish, dropping Barrios once more before the the bell mercifully rang for the end of the round.
BLOW AFTER BLOW. It’s coming! #DavisBarrios pic.twitter.com/gjBgSix0o5
— Mayweather Promotions (@MayweatherPromo) June 27, 2021
Gervonta Davis knocks down Mario Barrios TWICE in Round 8 ???????? #DavisBarrios pic.twitter.com/K3lDkzjkEg
— Unfiltered Media ™️ (@UnfilteredInd) June 27, 2021
If Davis could smell blood in the water, though, Barrios showed every inch why is a highly-regarded fighter in his own right, re-establishing himself in the ninth - leading to Floyd Mayweather telling him in between rounds that he was behind on Showtime's unofficial scorecards.
This was all that Davis needed to hear.
'Tank' opened the tenth aggressively as he hunted Barrios, and in the eleventh round he connected with a thunderous left hook to the body which crumpled Barrios. He briefly regained his equilibrium only for Davis to finish the job moments later when the referee stepped in with Barrios on unsteady feet.
GERVONTA DAVIS TKOs BARRIOS TO BECOME THE NEW WBA SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION ????
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2021
(via @ShowtimeBoxing)pic.twitter.com/o1OGN5Gc8M
"I made it tough, but it is what it is," said Davis afterwards.
"I went up in weight and got the job done. I’m the type of fighter, I want to catch you with clean shots. Most of them were missing, but eventually I caught up with him.
"I knew that if I catch him, I crack. When I caught him, it showed."
And as for Floyd Mayweather's ringside advice, Davis said that the 50-0 retired ring legend demanded that he show off why he is regarded as one of the sport's premier prizefighting attractions.
"Floyd said to me I was down, he said, ‘Show me that you’re great.'"
Signals from champ to champ! It’s a go ???? #DavisBarrios @FloydMayweather @Gervontaa pic.twitter.com/JsK5Xresl5
— Mayweather Promotions (@MayweatherPromo) June 27, 2021
"Respect to Barrios. Tank Davis has mastered this sh*t," was the reaction from NBA superstar Kevin Durant to Davis' performance.
Damion Lee of the Golden State Warriors agreed with Durant's take on the bout, writing online that it was an "amazing fight, all the way around!"