With the world itching for sports return, boxing has been relatively quiet. With the obvious COVID-19 concerns from contact sports, the question is not only when will boxing return but what matches will be made.
However, the world is aflutter about the news that Gervonta “Tank” Davis will face Leo Santa Cruz once boxing returns. The news was first announced by Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, Davis’ promoter.
SHOWTIME Sports President, Stephen Espinoza told us that he’s looking at bringing back events in July and this match is high on the priority list.
“Its going to be one of my highest priorities. Tank and Leo is, I think, a really an intriguing fight. Tank has really burst on the scene and sort of generate a lot of attention and sort of established himself as one of the faces of the sport. But Leo Santa Cruz would easily be his toughest opponent to date.”
Will Gervonta Davis be a superstar? Gervonta is fighting Leo Santa Cruz next. pic.twitter.com/puES11c7U8
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) May 12, 2020
However, the revenue generated from Davis’ and Santa Cruz’s live gate is too good to pass up. Mayweather Promotions has been traveling Tank to place like Atlanta, Las Vegas and even his hometown of Baltimore. He has sold out arena everywhere and become one to watch in the sport.
With Santa Cruz’s sizable Mexican-American fan base in Southern California, this could be the fight that makes Davis a tangible PPV star. Locations like the Staples Center in Los Angeles is the rumored venue for the event. For Tank, traveling makes sense as the Mayweather Promotions team is steadily building his brand. For Santa Cruz, his fan base and the general hardcore boxing base of Mexican-Americans are there.
“This brings in an additional dynamic because if they were to go immediately without a crowd that is leaving a significant amount on the table. We’ve seen in Atlanta and in Baltimore that Tank sells tickets as well as Leo. That’s why I can’t say that it’s going to be immediate.
“If we can wait a few months and maybe have a crowd that’s there to enjoy the fight in person then all the better. If there’s not a future that is foreseeable, let’s say, this calendar year in which we can have a crowd at that fight then there’s no reason to wait and we should get it done very quickly.”
