By Chris Williams: Leo Santa Cruz sees the December fifth combat between WBA ‘common’ light-weight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero as a 50-50 combat as a result of two of them having large energy.
Tank Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) is anticipated to be a large favourite towards the unbeaten Rolly (14-0, 12 KOs) after they meet within the headliner on SHOWTIME Boxing PPV on the Staples Middle in Los Angeles, California.
Though the 24-year-old Rolly is awkward and inexperienced nonetheless, he’s big for the 135-lb weight class and appears extra like a welterweight than a light-weight.
Rolly’s punching energy is that of a 147-pounder, and he’s going to be an issue for Tank if he can hold round lengthy sufficient to place fingers on him.
In taking a look at Rolly’s current exercise video this week, he seems to be a stable 160+ lbs, and it’s exhausting to imagine that he can lower all that muscle weight to compete at 135.
As massive as Rolly is, he actually must be competing at 147, not light-weight. Rolly’s measurement will make him a menace to Gervonta for so long as he’s in there.
With somebody that massive and highly effective, Rolly has received an opportunity to beat the a lot smaller 5’5 1/2″ Tank Davis. Dimension-wise, Tank is extra of a pure 130-pounder quite than a 135-pounder, and he’s going to be gifting away large measurement towards Rolly on the night time.
We don’t know if Rolly might be weight drained from slicing almost 30 lbs of muscle & water to get right down to 135.
TANK VS. ROLLY = 50-50 FIGHT
“It’s a terrific combat. Tank is a good fighter, nice energy. I fought him, he beat me, however he’s a terrific fighter, and Rolly is one other nice fighter, and he has energy too,” mentioned Leo Santa Cruz to Fighthype on the Gervonta Davis vs. Rolando Romero combat on December fifth.
“I believe in that combat, there’s going to be bombs,” Santa Cruz continued. “They’re going to be attempting to knock one another’s heads off.
“They’re going to present every little thing allowed, and I don’t suppose that combat goes to go 12 rounds, and I believe it’s going to be a knockout.
“It might go both manner as a result of they each have the ability, however the factor is, I believe Rolly, it’s the primary time he’s going 12 rounds or the second time, and he already fought 12 rounds.
“I believe he [Rolly] gasses out somewhat bit, nevertheless it might go both manner. It’s going to be a superb combat, and I can inform it is going to be a terrific combat.
“Tank beat me. If we’ve got a fighter that beat me, I need him to do good. That manner, I can say, ‘I misplaced to one of many nice,’ and hopefully, Tank goes and takes it,” Santa Cruz mentioned on pulling for Gervonta.
SANTA CRUZ TO FIGHT IN DECEMBER
“Me, I’m right here to nonetheless combat the most effective,” mentioned Santa Cruz when requested who he desires to combat. “There’s Oscar Valdez on the market. Whoever they put me towards, I’m not fearful of no one, and I’ll say sure to anyone.
“Hopefully,” mentioned Santa Cruz when informed that he’ll be again within the ring in December. “We’re preparing for, and hopefully, it could possibly be that date.
“They informed me that they’re attempting to place a date in December. Hopefully, I’ll get again in December. I’m preparing for that date, however no matter occurs, occurs, however I’m preparing,” mentioned Santa Cruz.
For Santa Cruz’s sake, he must hope that his promoters match him towards a non-puncher in his combat in December as a result of he’s coming off a foul sixth spherical knockout loss to Gervonta final October.
They’ve completed nicely to permit Santa Cruz to get better from his knockout by ready 14 months earlier than scheduling his subsequent combat in December, however nonetheless, you don’t understand how he’ll react to getting hit after the way in which he was knocked chilly by Tank.
Ideally, Santa Cruz must combat a lightweight puncher from the underside of the tremendous featherweight division’s prime 15 rankings. You don’t need to put him in with anybody with an oz. of energy as a result of it might finish badly.
SHAKUR STEVENSON LACKS AGGRESSION
“I watched somewhat bit,” mentioned Santa Cruz when requested if he watched Shakur Stevenson’s combat final Saturday night time towards Jamel Herring. “Shakur is a good fighter, and he has nice abilities and every little thing.
“He’s actually, actually excellent. The one factor is he’s not a kind of sorts of fighters that’s [all] motion that goes [forward and attacks], however he’s a terrific fighter.
“He’s received nice abilities and a terrific punch and every little thing, and he made it look straightforward. He’s quick, fast, and has nice punches.
“He is aware of find out how to take the rhythm and every little thing, and as I mentioned, if he had the aggression, all-out Mexican that goes out and destroys you, he can be excellent,” mentioned Santa Cruz of Stevenson.
It’s uncertain that Shakur Stevenson will change his combating model to turn into the aggressive fighter that Santa Cruz and plenty of different boxing followers want to see from him.
In any case, Shakur has fought the identical safety-first model since his newbie days, and it’s unrealistic to imagine he’s going to vary now that he’s in his mid-20s.
SHAKUR TOO SAFETY FIRST
Stevenson’s combating model will damage his probabilities of getting the fights he desires towards guys like Oscar Valdez and the highest fighters North of the 130-lb division at 135, like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
Curiously, the combat Stevenson can get, Vasily Lomachenko, he doesn’t appear inquisitive about taking. What does that inform you about Shakur?
In the end, Stevenson will fall in need of turning into a large star and can turn into Prime Rank’s subsequent Gullermo Rigondeaux.
Promoter Bob Arum was in all probability ecstatic when he first signed Stevenson after he got here out of the 2016 Olympics, believing he can be a can’t-miss star, nevertheless it doesn’t appear to be it’s going to occur.
If Stevenson fails to leap to stardom, Arum may need to think about slicing his losses and dropping him quite than hoping that the boxing public will embrace him like they did Floyd Mayweather Jr. a few years in the past.
Mayweather was a uncommon case the place U.S boxing followers embraced a pure boxer quite than a slugger, which they typically favor to see.
