At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, Sunday over Showtime PPV Premier Boxing Champions, Sampson Lewkowicz (Sampson Boxing), Tom Brown (TGB Promotions), and Leonard Ellerbe (Mayweather Promotions) featured in the Main Event WBA World Lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis defeated No. 8 ranked Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. In the co-feature, Sebastian Fundora defeated Sergio Garcia in a WBC Super Welterweight eliminator.
In the Main Event 3-division champion defending his WBA World title Lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis, 26-0 (24), #134 ½, of Baltimore, MD, defeated the No. 8 ranked Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, 22-2-1 (15), #134 ¼, of Mexico City, MEX, over 12 rounds.
In the first round, Cruz landed a left hook to the chin in the first ten seconds. At the halfway point, the always coming forth Cruz landed another left hook with Davis countering a right uppercut to the chin.
Cruz rocked Davis with a body shot right, knocking him off balance in the final minute. In the second round, Davis landed solid uppercuts to the chin of Cruz. Referee Thomas Taylor warned Davis twice about pushing down on the back of the low coming forward Cruz. In the third round, Davis landed uppercuts from both hands on the chin of Cruz. In the final seconds, Davis nailed Cruz with a left uppercut on the chin, taking the round.
In the fourth round, Davis continued moving around the ring from the stalking Cruz. Davis lands the left uppercut when Cruz catches up to him throughout the round. In the fifth round, when Cruz gets inside, Davis ties him up. Davis controlled the round except receiving a warning for roughing up Cruz. In the sixth round, Davis continued dominating the fight with his speed of hand and foot, having Cruz walking into uppercuts.
In the seventh round, it was all Davis bloodying the nose of Cruz. In the eighth round, Davis kept up out landing Cruz until the final seconds when Cruz rocked Davis with a right uppercut to the chin. In the ninth round, it’s all Davis with Davis, the aggressor, but the hand speed of Davis was too much for Cruz.
In the tenth round, Cruz landed a left hook on the chin, rocking Davis in the first minute. Davis controlled the rest of the round. In the eleventh round, Cruz chased Davis and caught up with him on several occasions taking the round.
In the twelfth and final round, Davis seemed content to going the distance for only the second time in his twenty-six fights keeping Cruz on the defense.
Scores were 116-112 and 115-113 twice, with this writer 117-111.
Davis said he hurt his left hand around the fifth round and needs to get it checked out after the fight. Claimed the other champs are “easy work!” Cruz countered with, “the fans know who won the fight!”
In the co-feature southpaw Sebastian “The Towering Inferno”
Fundora, 18-0-1 (12), #153 ¼, of Coachella, CA, defeated Sergio “El Nino” Garcia 33-1 (14), #153 ½, of Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain, over 12 rounds, winning the WBC Super Welterweight title eliminator.
The much taller Fundora controlled the fight with his jab in the first five rounds except for the third round. Garcia busted up Fundora, whose nose has been bleeding since the third round. In the sixth round, Garcia continued to take the fight to the much taller Fundora. In the seventh, through the ninth round, Fundora has little more than a jab which has kept it close but not enough to take the rounds.
In the eleventh round, the much shorter Garcia never stopped attacking Fundora. In the twelfth and final round, Garcia knew he needed a knockout but trailed until the last twenty seconds when a left hook from Garcia had Fundora rocked just before the bell.
Scores were 115-113, 117-111 and118-110
Middleweight Sergiy “The Technician” Derevyanchenko, 13-4 (10), #159 ½, of Ukraine and Brooklyn, NY, lost a majority decision to Carlos Adames, 21-1 (16), #159 ½, of DR and Washington Heights, NY, over ten rounds.
Scores were 95-95, 96-94, and 97-93.
Super Featherweight Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramirez, 26-2-3 (12), #129 ½, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, MEX, defeated Miguel “The Scorpion” Marriaga, 30-5 (26), #129 ½, of Arjona, COL, over ten rounds.
In the third round, Ramirez scored a knockdown. Scores were all 99-90.
Middleweight Luis Arias, 19-3-1 (9), #155 ¾, of Boca Raton, FL, lost a split decision to Vaughn “The Animal” Alexander, 16-6-1 (9), #157, of St. Louis, MO, over ten rounds.
Scores were 96-93 Arias and 96-93 twice for Alexander.