Gervonta Davis is known for his one-punch KO power that has led fans to take a liking to him for his exciting fighting style. Despite his limited appearances in recent years, Davis has consistently left a trail of knockout victories in his wake, and this has been his most active year as Davis has fought twice with a rumored third bout being worked on for the fall.
Now comes the next question - who does he fight? Among the top names looking to land the fight is Isaac Cruz, better known by fight fans as "Pitbull," who is appearing to be the frontrunner. The bout would be a rematch of their 2021 fight which is remembered as one of Davis' most competitive in recent memory.
When speaking to BoxingScene.com, Calvin Ford, the trainer of Gervonta Davis shed a bit of light on the situation.
“My thing [pick?] is Pitbull," said Ford to BoxingScene.com's Hans Themistode.
Gervonta Davis' journey to becoming one of boxing's most celebrated figures has been marked by his captivating personality combined with his ability to get a lot of stoppages. His January stoppage win over WBA super featherweight world champion Hector Luis Garcia, who moved up to lightweight to face Davis ended in a ninth-round stoppage. Davis followed up that performance with a record-breaking pay-per-view event against internet sensation, Ryan Garcia, in which Davis stopped Garcia with a body shot in the seventh round.
After these two fights though, Davis was sidelined as he had to serve a brief stint incarcerated after his Garcia win.
ProBox TV News caught up with Davis' assistant trainer, Kenny Ellis, who shared the following insight on Davis.
"Tank is doing the opposite of what the media is saying - he is doing great," told Ellis to ProBox TV News. "Tank is doing great."
Now it appears that Davis might be looking to conclude his year by dispelling any myths that he struggled against Isaac Cruz, as the two could be on course to face each other.
The "Pitbull" Connection
Isaac Cruz, nicknamed "Pitbull," is a hard-charging Mexican pressure fighter who competes in the lightweight division. As mentioned prior back in December 2021, Cruz accepted the challenge to face Davis on relatively short notice, this performance elevated his standing in the sport of boxing. Many expected a Davis knockout but instead got a closely contested bout that saw Davis have a lot of success and Davis break his hand in the fight. Although Davis won the fight on points, Cruz's resilience left a lasting impression on fans and pundits alike, and now the rematch looks to solve some of the unanswered questions from the first fight.
Cruz is coming off a split-decision win over Giovanni Cabrera on the Terence Crawford versus Errol Spence Jr., July 29th, pay-per-view card, that was slotted as the co-feature.
Looking Ahead
In the same interview on BoxingScene.com, Davis' coach, Ford, hinted that bouts with Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko could occur next year. Though a fight with Devin Haney seems less likely in the near future as Haney appears to be moving up the junior welterweight division. So this fight is not just an interesting pay-per-view bout but also a tool for Davis to land an even bigger fight in his bout after.
Gervonta Davis' potential clash with Isaac Cruz presents a compelling narrative and puts to rest what really happened in their first fight. With a lack of suitable opponents and the anticipation for a rematch is fueled by Cruz's resilient performance in their first encounter, creating a storyline that resonates with both casual fans and dedicated followers of the sport. As compelling figures such as Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson also harbor ambitions of facing Davis, the timing might not align for them just yet but sets an interesting backdrop to this fight.
As the year unfolds, the boxing world eagerly awaits the confirmation of Davis' next opponent, and whether the rumors of Isaac Cruz facing Davis will be confirmed.
