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Vinny’s Views: Recapping Gervonta Davis’ One Round Destruction of Hugo Ruiz

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By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

It’s been said all through the glorious decades of pugilism that a fighter can smell fear in the ring the same way a shark can smell blood in the water. There is a distinct point here I am trying to elucidate as we all know it takes a tremendous amount of courage to simply ascend the four wooden planks and enter the ring with visions of grandeur.

Yet, there is an inherit fear once a gladiator enters those ropes of distinction when at some point on the time keeper’s clock a boxer realizes he no longer navigates on a parallel universe and all things are not considered equal. The frightening revelations discovering that one is seriously outmanned, not simply outclassed and nothing in his arsenal will hold back the fury of his adversary.

Last night this theory became spectacle at the first moment WBA Super Featherweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis closed the shortest distance between two points and landed his first punch on the chin of substitute challenger Hugo Ruiz. Subsequently the bout would not hear the bell ending the first round.

The cool breeze about the outdoor venue at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California which hosted the event was matched only by Davis’ lavish ring entrance to Michael Jackson’s infamous “Thriller.” From there, he quickly morphed into a stalker and calibrated from his southpaw stance the distance needed to expedite his power shots as the challenger quickly went into retreat mode giving ground.

In summation the brief affair became evident to the keen eye as well as the Showtime cameras which covered the event that the champion already knew the bold prefight talk had dissipated with the exiting tail winds with the first encounter of leather embracing Ruiz’s chin. The body language of being allergic to the pocket is more evident only in your opponent’s eyes.

With thirty seconds remaining in the round Gervonta’s stalk was now over as he had cornered his foe and his stance opened dramatically to maximize the inevitable mortar shell about to be launched. He fired, and most likely broke the challenger’s nose. He fired again, stepped back and then leaped forward into the pocket with the coup de grace that dropped a bloody faced Hugo to his knees.

He beat referee Jack Reiss’ count and was erect at the seven, but when questioned three times by Reiss in his native tongue of Spanish if he could continue, the Mexican warrior simply looked at floor in total submission forcing Reiss’ hand to call an end to bout with one second remaining in first round. Reiss would later explain to Showtime interviewer Jim Gray that Ruiz made the decision for himself.

Afterwards Ruiz confirmed the “theory” proclaiming “His hands were very heavy from the start. Every punch that landed hurt.” Ruiz who was fighting above featherweight for the first time held a five inch reach and height advantage but was never able to utilize his God given gifts bringing his ledger to 39-5, 33 KO’s. Hugo was coming off a 10 UD win against Alberto Guevara just three weeks ago on the Manny Pacquiao Vs Adrien Broner undercard where Pacquiao rebuked the trash talking Broner and turned him into a bitter, whining bad loser who has yet to accept he is five years past his peak and unable to land more than 8 punches in any round of the “contest.”

It is duly noted that Davis and Broner are good buddies and often train together. At 29 years of age Broner is seven years Gervonta’s senior and appears to play mentor when filmed together. Truth be known here and now these chums are headed in different directions as Davis’ star is yet again on the rise and on the cusp of super stardom while Broner does his best fighting behind a microphone.

The jubilant champion from Baltimore was promising post-fight to return to action in his hometown possibly in July, with yet another defense before years end. Davis raised his record to 21-0, 20 KO’s.

Davis’ original opponent was rugged former champion Abner Mares from California who had to withdraw due to a detached retina in right eye sustained in sparring three weeks ago. Mares whose record of 31-3-1, 15 KO’s is in questionable jeopardy of continuing as he will need medical clearance. He has already sustained a detached retina in his left eye which he rebounded from. At 33 years of age and a rare anomaly of being one of the few fighters in division with a shorter reach and height than Davis he will not be favored to beat him if given the green light and again sanctioned by WBA.

Both media and fans have questioned the level of Tank’s commitment in training for this title bout as he appeared slightly bloated leading up to the fight. Davis had no problems making weight which Ruiz left quoting after blow out, “that he looked like he put on a lot of weight from time of weigh in.”

Hopefully the champion who has a brilliant future before him learned the error of his ways and from his mistakes. Back in August 2017, he lost his IBF Super Featherweight title on the scales when he failed to make weight against Francisco Fonseca which he won by KO 8, in a rescheduled 12 round non-title bout at T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada.

Davis reclaimed a title when he competed for vacant WBA belt against Jesus Cuellar with a third round TKO last April at Barclay’s Center, Brooklyn New York once again serving notice to division he was “the” force to be reckoned with alongside wetting appetites for dream matchup against the matrix wunderkind Vasyl Lomachenko.

Stay tuned…

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