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All Eyes On Tank

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Gervonta “Tank” Davis deserves his flowers now.

Davis put on a career-defining performance on Saturday night live on SHOWTIME PPV from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Davis captured the WBA Super Lightweight after scoring a scintillating 11th round TKO over the previously undefeated Mario Barrios.

“I made it tough. I definitely could have made it easier but I went up two weight classes and I got the job done,” said the 26-year-old Baltimore native, who was headlining his second SHOWTIME PPV.

“I hit him with some clean shots, but I’m the type of fighter that wants to catch you with clean shots. I don’t just want to throw any type of shot. The shots I was throwing were missing, but eventually I caught up with him.”

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) showed his true potential in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,570.

After a slow opening four rounds in which Davis landed just 11 punches, the fight produced fireworks beginning in the fifth round. In the eighth round, “Tank” sent Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) to the canvas for both his career’s first and second times.

First, Davis connected on a sweeping right hook that sent the former champion to the canvas. Moments later, a straight left hand by Davis dropped Barrios again. The brave Barrios rose to his feet, surviving Davis’ attempts to finish him in the eighth.

With International Boxing Hall of Famer and promoter Floyd Mayweather encouraging Davis in his corner, the southpaw came out rejuvenated in the eleventh round, realizing that the fight could be close on the scorecards.

“Tank” dropped Barrios for the third time in the fight, this time with a left uppercut to the body. The bloodied Barrios rose again, only to be greeted with another barrage of punches from Davis. Referee Thomas Taylor stepped in to stop the fight at 2:13 of the eleventh round.

“I knew for sure if I catch him, I’m crackin,” Davis said in the post-fight interview. “So I caught him, and it showed. My coach was telling me to go to a jab style but I’m a southpaw so they know I’m going to that jab side. So I would try and bait him in. I faked like I was going left, and I threw my right. And my hook over top, and that’s where I caught him.”

In the final six-and-a-half rounds, Davis landed 85 punches. He landed 45 percent of his power punches (82/182), while Barrios more than held his own, out-landing Davis in six of the ten completed rounds.

“I knew he was hurt. I just had to catch him at the right time,” Davis continued. “Floyd [Mayweather] came to me and was honest and said I was down,” continued Davis, who was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. “So he said, ‘Show me that you’re great.’ And you know how we do it in the doghouse, baby!”

With the victory, Davis now holds world championships in three different divisions simultaneously, a feat only accomplished by a few other fighters in history, including Henry Armstrong and Canelo Alvarez.

“He has the potential to be one of the greatest ever,” said Mayweather. “When I first met ‘Tank’ when he was 14 or 15 years old, I told him I’d make him a world champion. And that you’ll be one of the best someday. I’m proud of him.”

“I’ve never been a hater. Congrats to ‘Tank,'” said Barrios. “He came here and did his thing. It was nothing short of an exciting fight, and that’s exactly what both of us predicted. He was the better man tonight, but I’ll definitely be back.

“‘Tank’ is explosive. He caught me slipping and it’s boxing. At the end of the day, one punch can change the fight. That’s exactly what I felt happened. Congrats to him.”

Immediately, many began to elevate Tank’s status on the pound-for-pound list as the young star is not only moving up in weight but taking down more significant challengers in spectacular fashion.

If there was any doubt, Tank silences the critics, and Mayweather Promotions is building its next-generation superstar.

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