Written by FIGHT WEEK
Gervonta Davis returns to the ring in a pay-perv-view bout against fellow contender Rolando Romero on Saturday in Brooklyn.
Gervonta Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) vs. Rolando Romero (14-0, 12 KOs)
When: Saturday, May 28
Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
Rounds: 12
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound ranking: Davis No. 13
Odds: Davis 8½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Erislandy Lara vs. Gary O’Sullivan, middleweights; Jesus Ramos vs. Luke Santamaria, junior middleweights; Eduardo Ramirez vs. Luis Melendez, junior lightweights
Prediction: Davis KO 7
Background: Gervonta Davis continues his march toward a lightweight title shot on Saturday. The WBA’s top contender will face unbeaten underdog Rolando Romero, who sits immediately below Davis in the sanctioning body’s rankings. “Tank” is coming off a close unanimous-decision victory (116-112, 115-113, 115-113) over aggressive Isaac Cruz in December, a fight in which Davis said he injured his left hand. That result ended Davis’ streak of knockouts at 16. The gifted former 130-pound titleholder has his sights set on the top 135-pounders, including WBA champ George Kambosos Jr. The Australian defends his belt against Devin Haney on June 5 in Melbourne. Romero has talked a good game leading up to this fight but Davis represents an enormous step up in opposition for him. The Las Vegas resident, a good boxer with power, struggled to outpoint Jackson Marinez in August 2020 but responded by stopping Avery Sparrow and Anthony Yigit in his two fights since then. The Yigit fight took place in July of last year. On the undercard, 39-year-old Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) is a significant favorite to beat Gary O’Sullivan (31-4, 21 KOs) in a scheduled middleweight bout. The Cuban will be taking part in his second fight as a full-fledged 160-pounder.
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FRIDAY
Jonathan Ramirez vs. Adrian Pacheco Perez, junior lightweights, Mexico City (Estrella TV).
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Good, bad, worse: Gervonta Davis, Isaac Cruz both emerge as winners
Gervonta Davis’ team not pleased with post-fight criticism
Isaac Cruz surprised that Gervonta Davis was ‘passive, almost afraid’
Gervonta Davis survives spirited effort from Isaac Cruz to win decision
Gallery
Photos: Gervonta Davis outpoints Isaac Cruz in tight contest