As expected by most boxing fans and experts alike, Gervonta came out victorious by the end of Sunday night. However, the decision came down to the judges’ decision, as opposed to the predicted knock-out by Davis.
The Baltimore native is known primarily for his superb defensive skills, and he entered Sunday night sticking to his strategy of analyzing the fighter, and capitalizing in the later rounds of the fight.
“I am not the type of fighter who seeks to knock out. I knew he was strong and I was just warming up and seeing what his best weapons were,” Gervonta said to the press after the fight.
The 27-year-old American fighter gives credit to the Mexican “Pitbull”, for his endurance and ability to extend this fight all the way through. He says it was a tough match-up for him, and that tonight was a glimpse of the bright future ahead for Cruz.
“Cruz is shorter than me, so I hit him over his head and that hurt my fist in the sixth round. It doesn't matter if my opponent is shorter or taller than me, I must overcome him. He is a warrior, and today a star was born beyond him not winning tonight,” said Davis.
Cruz went on to gain major respect in the boxing industry for his performance Sunday night, where he was praised for coming out with an aggressive approach that is typically seen in Mexican boxers.
“That is my style. Pitbull will always come out to attack. I think we set the pace from start to finish,” Cruz said.
This is Cruz’s second loss on his record at age 23, though he says he walked away from the ring feeling happy after the fight. A fight that came as a surprise to him, as he was added to the boxing card as a last-minute replacement for Ronald Romero, who was reported for sexual assault in early October.
