PREVIEWS
http://www.boxingnewsonline.net JULY 25, 2019 lBOXING NEWSl 39in the past, although he did stop his
conqueror six months later. Against the
ferocious Davis, he simply cannot afford
to leave himself open.
Considering the monumental leap
up in class that Nunez is embarking
upon, it will be a surprise if he manages
to reach the halfway mark of this
12-rounder.
The chief support on
this TGB and Mayweather
co-promotion, live on
Showtime, sees a pair of
experienced former world
champions collide over
10 rounds at lightweight.
Yuriorkis Gamboa,
29-2 (17), is a previous
unified featherweight
ruler, while Roman
Martinez, 30-3-3 (18),
has reigned as WBO
super-feather king on
three occasions. Both, though, are now
past their best.
Classy Cuban Gamboa possesses fine
technical skills, as proved by the Olympic
gold medal he earned in 2004. The
Miami-based 37-year-old will have to
overcome disadvantages in height and
reach in order to prevail against wiry
Puerto Rican Martinez. The game Vega
Baja resident is a year younger than his
opponent and will look to exploit his
vulnerabilities, as Gamboa has been
floored multiple times during his career.
Martinez’s latest outing in March was
his first since coming out of retirement.
The all-action aggressor had been
inactive for nearly three years prior to
this, which is likely to swing things in
his rival’s favour. Gamboa has been the
far busier of the two in recent times,
so expect him to triumph on points.THE VERDICT As if facing Davis
wasn’t a daunting enough task for
Nunez, he has to travel to away turf,
too.‘TANK’ TOWN
Photo: ROSIE COHE/SHOWTIME
LAST time out in February, Gervonta
“Tank” Davis steamrollered through
ex-WBC super-bantamweight champ
Hugo Ruiz in under three minutes
to make a successful initial defence
of his WBA super-feather strap. After
dispatching the late substitute, the 21-0
(20) Davis bellowed: “We’re coming to
Baltimore. We’re going home, baby!”
This Saturday ( July 27), the Maryland
man will do exactly that when he fights
in his hometown for the first time since
his fourth professional bout six years
ago. Opposing the two-time 130lb
titlist at the Royal Farms Arena is his
mandatory challenger, Panamanian
Ricardo Nunez, 21-2 (19).
As well as trouncing Ruiz, Davis has
also notched impressive inside-schedule
victories over other notable names in
Jose Pedraza, Liam Walsh and Jesus
Cuellar. The sturdy southpaw had around
220 amateur contests and has developed
into a formidable finisher as a pro.
Quick, accurate, aggressive and ruthless,the 24-year-old launches torrents of
hurtful hooks to head and body.
Like Davis, Nunez boasts an
intimidating knockout ratio, although he
is yet to face any noteworthy opposition.
The La Chorrera native will be making
his US debut, having only fought outside
of Panama once before (in Mexico).
Nicknamed “El Cientifico” (The Scientist)
due to his composed
and calculated approach
in the ring, Nunez has
operated as high as
the super-lightweight
division, but has
recently settled at super-
featherweight.
The man from Central
America, who turns 26
the day after the fight,
likes to press forward
with fast jabs and one-
twos. When he gets in
close, he is happy to let his hands go in
the form of hooks and uppercuts. As well
as putting his shots together effectively,
he also targets the body well. However,
he can be tagged, as evidenced by the
fact that he has been dropped and KO’d★★ MAIN EVENT
★★★ UNDERCARDDavis
returns
home to
defend his
world title,
writes
Paul
Wheeler ‘WE’RE
COMING TO
BALTIMORE.
WE’RE GOING
HOME,
BABY!’
ROUND OF APPLAUSE:
Davis deserves credit for
the speed with which he has
progressed up the ladderTALE OF THE TAPE
GERVONTA DAVIS RICARDO NUNEZ
@Gervontaa –
Nov 7, 1994/24 DOB/AGE Jul 28, 1993/25
Baltimore, MD HOMETOWN La Chorrera
American NATIONALITY Panamanian
5ft 5 1/2ins HEIGHT 5ft 6ins
21-0 (20) RECORD 21-2 (19)
Southpaw STA NCE Orthodox
Feb 22, 2013/18DEBUT/AGE Oct 30, 2010/17
95 KO PERCENTAGE 83
15 WINS INSIDE THREE ROUNDS 18
20 FIGHTS IN AMERICA 0