Gervonta Davis vs. Yuriokis Gamboa

Particulars: Saturday, December 28, 2019, it’s Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa - lightweights for the vacant WBA World Lightweight Title. Live, State Farm Arena, Atlanta,Ga (Showtime).

Background: Floyd Mayweather is no fool when it comes to matching the various fighters in his stable and this is seemingly, a perfect example. Gamboa with his Cuban machine training, is the most live of dogs. Too bad this fight didn’t happen five years ago. This is a fight between a tremendously skilled, tremendously trained, older Cuban Fighter and a younger fighter not pushed as hard as he should be. Tank Davis is naturally muscular, naturally chunky. How long he can boil down to Lightweight – well, it’s a damn good question.

I can’t forget how the then 33-year-old Gamboa genuinely buzzed the much bigger man, Bud Crawford, five years ago. The dude can fight. That said, he was linked to the Biogenesis drug scandal but it’s proved impossible to know to what degree he was involved, for how long and what aid PED’s may have been to his career. While I’m the biggest hater on PED’s users, it must be stated that Gamboa is a hell of a pugilist without them, unless they were a regular part of the Cuban program and readers, that, we just don’t know.

Fighter’s Grades: (Speed, Power, Defense, Reach, Age, Stamina, Experience)

Gervonta Davis: B+ B+ B+ B- B B+ B- (Average of all) B (3.1)

Yuriorkis Gamboa: B B- B- C+ C- B- B+ (Average of all) C+ (2.6)

Reality Check:

It’s interesting that Bud Crawford singles out Gamboa who was coming way up in weight, as the only man who has hurt him.

Soft spoken Tank Davis’s brief falling out with Mayweather stems from unknown reasons – a bit hard to believe that merely sparring in Florida (rather than the TMT gym in Vegas) is sufficient.

Whatever, promoter and fighter have patched things up. Here’s the thing though, fans. Mayweather may have faced most if not all of the top challengers in his career but he KNOWS those in his stable should not. What makes FM a potentially good promoter-manager (if he doesn’t become bored) is that he can see deficiencies in every fighter in his stable, he Floyd, did not have. In Davis’ case, I’d guess “Money” says “too short and prone to weight.” Indeed, Davis is just naturally chunky and how he’ll fare as a short dude at 140 and 47’ is unknown. “Not that great?” Could be.

Gamboa is a gold-medalist with a phenomenal pedigree. He is gifted, athletic, brave – and 38! I doubt he’ll catch Davis but if he does this could become a great fight, quick. Yuriorkis also looks to everyone in the sport, far below his listed height and with a much shorter reach. The dude is SMALL – and he’s a damn fine pugilist.

I believe The Money Team knows its stuff, and Gamboa at 38 is not the guy that once had ‘generational’ talent Crawford on politically incorrect street five years ago.

Fight and Prediction: A whole lotta Money Team, a whole lotta clever match-making, Davis TKO9 Gamboa.

Final Flurries: Have I said it many times before, or not?!

Bud Crawford in the interview where he evaluated Davis vs. Gamboa, also let drop that he won’t be fighting much longer. Big surprise, right?

Errol Spence looks and talks differently than pre his horrendous auto wreck. Let’s hope it’s only new front teeth and not permanent mental damage. Sad he called out God repeatedly for protecting him – hey, we’re all happy he’s alive – but made no apologies for DWI. For God sake, dont’ drink and drive. As the cops have said, Spence’s survival is a one-in-a-million occurrence, one in which NOT wearing a seatbelt saved him. You won’t be that lucky.

Happy New Year from me and everyone at Maxboxing.com!