Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz are set to highlight a pay per view card on Saturday night which will take place at Texas’ Alamodome. It will be first pay per view event headliner for each fighter and will be aired live on Showtime Pay Per View beginning at Nine PM Eastern Time. The bout is being presented by Showtime and Premiere Boxing Champions. Both the WBA lightweight title, which is held by Davis, and the WBA super featherweight title, which is held by Santa Cruz, will be at stake. The fight, which is scheduled for twelve rounds, will be waged at a catch weight of 130 pounds.
The 23-0 Davis weighed in on Friday at 129.75 pounds while the 37-1-1- Santa Cruz weight in at 129.5 pounds, erasing any doubt that the 25 year old Davis would have trouble on the scales since he was moving down from the 135 pound division he holds a world title in. Both Davis and the 32 year old Santa Cruz appeared in shape and comfortable at the weigh in. Although Davis has been the source of some controversy outside the ring, both he and Santa Cruz have behaved like sportsmen throughout the leadup to this weekend.
Davis is well regarded as a thunderous puncher, having won all but one of his fights by knockout. Santa Cruz can’t boast of that kind of power, but he can boast of an extremely impressive resume, one that has seen him best the likes of Manuel Roman and Abner Mares. Santa Cruz’ one defeat, at the gloved fits of Carl Frampton, was one he successfully avenged less than six months later. Although favored, Davis will walk into the match having never faced anyone of Santa Cruz’ caliber. His last bout was a late December win against a past his prime Yuriorkis Gamboa last year. Santa Cruz’ last match was a win over Miguel Flores just over a month earlier.
The winner of this weekend’s fight will have earned more than just bragging rights. For Davis, whose long been seen as a rising star, a win over Santa Cruz will likely see him catapulted to the heights of the fight game. As for Santa Cruz, a win over the explosive and young Davis might well be the high point of the California native’s professional career. As things stand, Saturday’s match is the biggest fight in the careers of both men.
