‘Tank’ Davis KOs Mario Barrios for WBA Title

That slow lit fuse that is Gervonta “Tank” Davis finally exploded and took out WBA super lightweight titlist Mario Barrios late in the fight by knockout on Saturday.

Yes, a good little man can beat a good big man.

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) took his time to figure out Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) before a crowd of more than 16,000 raging fans at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. But the fans loved every moment, especially the finish.

It was his third weight division world title.

From the beginning both fighters were especially careful and wary of each other’s power. Davis had never fought anyone as tall or as heavy and Barrios was leery of the smaller but muscular fighter’s power.

It turned out Davis could carry his power up three weight divisions.

Barrios controlled the fight early with a long rangy jab and stepping around. Davis looked to time the taller fighter but did not want to walk into any blows. For four rounds Barrios controlled the distance.

Things turned when Davis began attacking and pressuring behind combinations in the fifth round. Barrios exchanged with Tank in the fifth and emerged with a cut over his eye.

Barrios looked to rally behind three-punch combinations in the seventh round. He looked like the solid winner of the frame until Davis launched his own thudding three-punch combo.

In the eighth round Barrios looked to increase his own output when Davis feinted with a left and delivered a blindside right hook to the temple. Down went Barrios for the first time. He got up and Davis charged after and delivered a left cross that sent Barrios down again. It looked like the end of the fight was coming but somehow Barrios survived.

“I feinted like I was going for my left then I feinted and went with my right,” said Davis a former super featherweight and lightweight titlist.

Few punches were thrown or landed in the ninth round. Davis seemed a little weary from his furious output in the previous round and Barrios wasn’t sure of his own footing.

For the next two rounds the blows flowed freely. Remarkably Barrios took heavy blows to the head from Davis but he could not handle the shots to the body. Down went Barrios in pain. He got up but was tagged again with a clean shot to the chin. Referee Tom Taylor wisely stepped in to halt the beating at 2:13 of round 11. Davis was clearly about to take serious advantage.

“I made it tough. I could have made it easier, but it is what it is. I would try to catch him with some clean shots,” Davis said. “Eventually I caught up with him. I knew that if I catch him, I would crack him.”

Barrios had no excuses.

“I never been a hater, congrats to Tank. He came here and did his thing. He was the better man,” said Barrios.

Davis now can look to go back down to 135 or remain at 140.

“Whatever my team tells me to do,” said Davis

Tank can definitely draw a crowd and Tank can definitely fight at super lightweight. The recognized undisputed super lightweight champion is Scotland’s Josh Taylor. That’s a match that can definitely be made. And those divisions below 140, everybody watch out.

Other Bouts

Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (24-1, 17 KOs) traded big blows with former world champion Jeison Rosario (20-3-1, 14 KOs) before ending the fight with thudding body shots. He’s back near the top of the super welterweight ladder.

Lubin hurt Dominican Republic’s Rosario early then was hurt by a strong left jab from the former champion, but he survived. After re-setting, Lubin began targeting the body and that proved the turning point.

A Lubin left below the belt followed by a right hook to the body sent the former champion to the floor. Rosario beat the count but was met with another volley of blows including a body shot and down he went for good at 2:59 of the third round as referee Jerry Cantu counted him out.

“I just followed the game plan. They were telling me stick to the jab. He had real power and he was trying to counter me,” said Lubin. “I went straight to the body. I knew I could hurt him to the body.”

Carlos Adames (20-1, 16 KOs) took a little while to figure out the weird defensive style of Alexis Salazar (23-4) before ending his night with a single left hook. The night was over for Salazar at 2:59 of round three in the super welterweight match.

Adames was a little confused by Salazar who often turned his back as a form of defense, but once he figured out the rhythm it was all over when he caught Salazar with a hook to the chin.

“I was working on that to the body and head,” said Adames. “I just needed to find the rhythm.”

Russia’s Batyr Akhmedov (9-1, 8 KOs) out-punched former world title-holder Argenis Mendez (25-7-3) through most of their fight until it ended at the end of the eighth by technical knockout in their super lightweight match.

Akhmedov was the busier fighter and used his nonstop punching to offset the counter-punching Dominican Republic’s Mendez who had his moments, but not nearly enough. At the end of the eighth round Mendez told his corner his hand was injured and he could not continue.

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