GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS Looked Impressive For Floyd Mayweather On National Television!

GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS WINS BY TKO ON BOUNCE TV

Davis defeated Mexico’s Cristobal Cruz by TKO in 1:31 of Round 3 in Orlando, Florida, with Floyd Mayweather supporting him at ringside.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – On Friday night, October 30, 2015, undefeated super featherweight professional boxer, Gervonta "Tank" Davis (Baltimore, Maryland) needed just three rounds to defeat former world champion Cristobal Cruz (Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) via TKO at The Venue on The University of Central Florida’s campus (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. A few hours before the fight, world champion Floyd Mayweather entered Davis’ locker room and spent some time with him and his team. Following Davis’ win, Mayweather praised him during his post-fight interview, which aired live on Bounce TV. In the main event, Malik Scott defeated Tony Thompson by unanimous decision in a ten-round heavyweight fight. Davis-Cruz was originally scheduled for ten rounds, but moved to an eight round fight to accommodate television programming. The fight card, “Premier Boxing Champions - The Next Round,” was presented by Warriors Boxing and televised by Bounce TV. With the win, Davis’ record improved to 13-0, with 12 KOs. With the loss, Cruz’s record dropped to 40-19-4, with 24 KOs.

    In the beginning of fight, Davis and Cruz let their hands go early on, as each boxer tried to gain an advantage. Near the end of the first round, Cruz landed a wide right hand that forced Davis to backpedal and reset. Moments later, Davis landed a straight left hand that floored Cruz. In the middle of Round 3, Davis landed a big uppercut, causing Cruz to retreat and slide back to the corner to prevent receiving further blows. Cruz gathered himself to his feet before the end of the count, but referee Frank Santore, Jr. stopped the fight at 1:31 of Round 3.

   Davis’ boxing trainer, Calvin Ford (Upton Boxing Center/Baltimore, Maryland), said, "I thought Tank came out and did a good job of handling Cruz. He landed some great shots that we had worked on in the gym, and he executed them perfectly. He is still a young fighter, and he has a lot to learn as his opponents become tougher. Mayweather gave Tank some great tips on fighting a veteran opponent, and he was very supportive. He kept the locker room fun and relaxed before the televised fight. For now, we’ll go back and look at certain things that we have to work on in order to move forward. You have to do certain things in your preparation for fights in order to become a world champion. We have to work on those things and improve.”

   

The 20-year-old Davis discussed his win in Orlando. He said, “I’m pleased with my performance. I still have a ways to go, and I have some things I need to work on to be where I want to be. In this fight, I came out and dictated the pace, and thought I showed good ring generalship. Cruz was awkward and kept leaning in with his head. His punches were coming in from all over, and I eventually adjusted to his style. It didn’t take long after that. I hit him with some heavy shots throughout the fight. He took it, and was tough. I knocked him down in Round 1 with a straight left hand and body combo, but he survived. I finished him with a big uppercut in Round 3 and the ref stopped it.”

   Davis continued, “I appreciate Floyd Mayweather flying in on his private jet to come to my fight and support me. He told me days before the fight that he was coming, but I didn’t know if he was coming for sure. He showed up a few hours before the fight. He came in the dressing room and that helped motivate me to put on a great show. I’m looking forward to being back in the ring real soon. I’m looking to build my experience, and get the right preparation so I can be ready for a title shot in 2016. Thank you to my team, Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions, Al Haymon, Nike Boxing, Athlete Performance Solutions, Shane Goodell, Rich Brand, and Ethika. Thanks to all my fans that have been hitting me up on social media and telling me how much they are pulling for me. Keep supporting me, and I'll fight for you."  

   Floyd Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions said, “Tank is a young, hungry fighter, and he showed in this fight that he has a very bright future. He’s from Baltimore, and he came from a humble background, like myself. He has all the tools to be one of the best in this sport. He’s a hard worker, and he’s shown that he’s dedicated. We are going to work hard to get him to that next level. The ultimate goal is for him break all my records.”

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @Gervontaa or http://instagram.com/gervontaa

Follow Gervonta Davis on Twitter: @Gervontaa or https://twitter.com/Gervontaa

Follow Gervonta Davis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GervontaTankDavis

Hashtags: #Tank #TheOne

Follow Calvin Ford on Instagram: @ccoford or http://instagram.com/ccoford

Follow Calvin Ford on Twitter: @cfordrize or https://twitter.com/cfordrize

Photo Credits:
October 30 fight pics courtesy of Esaiah Gomez/ Mayweather Promotions

All other pics: courtesy of Team Davis

Cecil McCalla Drops Decision To Tony Harrison!

Middleweight Tony Harrison outworked Cecil McCalla  in a ten round contest at the NRG Arena in Houston, TX.

Randallstown, MD's Cecil McCalla trailed the entire fight, but was able to hurt Harrison with a right hand in the 9th round. McCalla appeared to get the better of the Harrison in the 10th round, but it wasn’t enough for him to make up for the first nine rounds.


McCalla started the bout being too defensive, and failed to put together a early start to his offense. This made it easy for Harrison to move around, using his jab and get out of the way of the occasional big punches that McCalla was trying to land.

The judges scored the contest 100-90 and 98-92 twice all for Harrison giving him the unanimous decision win.

McCalla falls to 20-3, (7KO's) while Harrison improves to 22-1, (18KO's).

Tony Thompson Loses To Malik Scott In Orlando, FL!

In the main event featured on Bounce TV, Tony "The Tiger" Thompson battle Malik Scott in a ten round heavyweight bout at the Venue at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Thompson was able to put Scott down late in the 9th round of the contest, but it was the early activity of Scott that solidified the bout in his favor. Scott's movement was a little too much for Thompson to establish himself in the fight. Despite a 10-8 score in the 9th round the judges gave a unanimous decision victory to Scott with the scores of  98-91, 96-93 and 95-94.

Thompson falls to 40-6, 27 KO's while Scott improves his record to 38-2-1, 13 KO's. 

Here's the knockdown by Tony Thompson.

Gervonta "Tank" Davis Wins Big In Orlando, Florida!

Gervonta "Tank" Davis put on a good performance against Cristobal Cruz of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico,. The speed and power of Davis was more than the veteran Cruz could handle. Davis landed a perfectly timed left hand to send Cruz to the canvas. The referee stopped the contest at 1:31 of round number three.

Davis remains undefeated at 13-0, (12 KO's) while Cruz fall to 40-19-4, (24KOs). 

Here's the knockout.

Post-Fight Interview

GERVONTA “TANK” DAVIS IS BACK IN ACTION ON OCTOBER 30th IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA!

Davis seeks to extend his win streak in a 10-round fight against Mexico’s Cristobal Cruz at The Venue on UCF’s campus in Orlando, Florida.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – On Friday night, October 30, 2015, undefeated super featherweight professional boxer, Gervonta "Tank" Davis (Baltimore, Maryland/12-0-0, 11 KOs) takes on Mexico’s Cristobal Cruz (Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico/40-18-4, 24 KOs) in a ten-round fight at The Venue on The University of Central Florida’s campus (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. In the main event, Tony Thompson will battle Malik Scott in a ten-round heavyweight fight. The boxing card entitled, “Premier Boxing Champions - The Next Round,” is presented by Warriors Boxing, and will be televised by Bounce TV.

      In his most recent fight on September 12, 2015, Davis made quick work of Recky “The Terror” Dulay (Philippines/8-2-0, 5 KOs) on the pay-per-view undercard of what was billed as Floyd Mayweather’s final fight against Andre Berto, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the opening round, Davis knocked Dulay down twice with left hands to the head. Immediately following the second knock down, Dulay signaled to referee Russell Mora that he didn’t want to continue, forcing Mora to call a halt to the action at 1:34 of the first round. Davis-Dulay was originally scheduled for eight rounds, but was moved to a six-round fight on the day of the fight to accommodate the Showtime televised broadcast.

   Davis’ longtime boxing trainer, Calvin Ford (Upton Boxing Center/Baltimore, MD), said, "Mayweather Promotions is doing a great job keeping Tank active, and that is great for any gifted young fighter. He just fought in September and hasn’t taken much time off from the gym. Our last opponent was somewhat of a disappointment, because he didn’t put up much resistance and the fight ended faster than we expected. Some of that might have been because he wasn’t used to facing a skilled power-puncher like Tank. Cristobal Cruz is a veteran in this sport, and he seems very durable. Cruz can hopefully come in and give Tank some valuable rounds of experience. As long as we stick to our game plan, and stay focused, we will come out victorious once again on October 30.”

     The 20-year-old Davis discussed his upcoming fight in Orlando. He said, “I’m feeling very strong right now, and I’ll be trying to break Cruz down over the course of ten rounds. I don’t ever go looking for the knockout. I like to break my opponent down. If the knockout comes, it comes. I just listen to my coach and do what I’ve been doing. My team is going to be ready for whatever our opponent does in there. This fight will hopefully give me some good experience as I move towards a title fight. I’m not going to be paid by the round. My goal for this fight is to continue impressing the boxing fans like I have been doing.”

     Davis continued, “Floyd Mayweather has said many times that he believes that I’m up next, and you will see why fans are calling me “The One” on October 30. My team has big plans ahead for me, but I have to take care of business on Friday or those things can’t happen like they are supposed to. Thank you to my team, Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions, Al Haymon, Yekim, Nike Boxing, Athlete Performance Solutions, Shane Goodell, Rich Brand, and Ethika. I hope to see lots of my fans come down to Orlando for the fight on Friday night. If you are already coming to the fight, you are going to get your moneys worth. Keep supporting me, and I'll fight for you."

     Tickets to Gervonta Davis vs. Cristobal Cruz are priced at $100, $50, and $25, plus additional taxes and fees. Parking at The Venue is $10. The Venue is located behind CFE Arena at 4000 Mercury Circle, Orlando, FL, 32816. You can purchase tickets by calling Warriors Boxing at (954) 985-1155 or buy them online at www.WarriorsBoxing.com. You can also purchase tickets through Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For the latest updates and information on Davis’ weigh-in info and fight time, follow his social media accounts.

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @Gervontaa or http://instagram.com/gervontaa

Follow Gervonta Davis on Twitter: @Gervontaa or https://twitter.com/Gervontaa

Follow Gervonta Davis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GervontaTankDavis

Hashtags: #Tank #TheOne

Follow Calvin Ford on Instagram: @ccoford or http://instagram.com/ccoford

Follow Calvin Ford on Twitter: @cfordrize or https://twitter.com/cfordrize

( Photos courtesy of Idris Erba/Mayweather Promotions, Esther Lin/Showtime, and Team Davis)    

"Mr." Gary Russell Jr. Never Ending Progression To Become Great!

Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) held a media workout at The Enigma Boxing Club in Capital Heights, MD on Tuesday as he prepares for his championship bout on November 14 on SHOWTIME.

Gary Russell Jr. 26-1,(15KO's) held a media workout at The Enigma Boxing Club in Capital Heights, MD on Tuesday as he prepares for his championship bout on November 14 on SHOWTIME.

With his first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Championship on the line, Gary Russell Jr. will take on Colombia's Oscar Escandón 24-2,(16KOs) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Nov. 14, live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT) from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

GARY RUSSELL JR.:

"Training camp is going great, we're right on course. There was a minor hiccup in the camp because I was supposed to fight on Oct. 24. I started sparring, but once the fight got pushed back to November 14 I cut the sparring off. I didn't want to peak too early.

"Today (Tuesday) was my first day back sparring again. I'm working on my timing, ring generalship and lateral movement.  We're right on course. 

"Oscar Escandon is strong and durable. He comes straight forward. If his corner was smart they would try to take away my hand speed which will be a big factor in the fight. He'll need to close the distance, smother my punches so speed isn't a factor.

"We are working on becoming just as comfortable fighting on the outside as I am fighting on the inside.

"A lot of fighters are one-dimensional. We are trying to make that diamond shine on all sides.

"I know that I will be victorious without a doubt. Anyone that you get in the ring with these small, 8-ounce gloves always has a possibility of creating an upset whether he's a big puncher or not.  It only takes one shot.  It's the fighters' job to take away that opportunity.  

"I'm excited to fight, period.  I don't even think about this fight being a title defense. It takes a certain type of mental toughness and psychological strength to get in the ring and perform. Anyone who gets in the ring against me is a champion in my eyes.

"It's been about seven months since I fought.  I'm always anxious to get back in the ring. 

"If I get past Escandon I would love to fight Leo Santa Cruz, we fought in the amateurs.  But we never underestimate any opponent and we are focused on getting this fight out of the way first. Lee Selby is another guy that we're looking at.  Of course Abner Mares, even though he lost, would be a great fight.  These are the type of guys that we'd like to fight. 

"Having my family with me during training camp means everything to me. It's where I get my energy from. A lot of guys feel like they have to get away for training camp, but I don't have to leave home. My family is the driving force behind my training camp and where I find my power and motivation. At the end of the day, I box for my family.

"If my brother ends up fighting on my undercard it would be very cool for me. It will be funny because if he does compete, you will definitely see me work his corner before my title fight."

GARY RUSSELL SR.:

"I know it's a championship fight, but we go into every fight like it's a title fight. We don't know a ton about his opponent, we just train like champions.

 "I have six sons, all of them are fighters. They all have different attributes as people that translate differently into who they are as people and in the ring.

 "Antonio Russell is 4-0, he's worked really hard all of his life. Outside of the gym, he can fix anything. Antoine, who just qualified for the Olympic trials, is brilliant. I'm very proud of him because he just graduated valedictorian of his class with the highest GPA of anyone in Prince George's county. Then you have Gary, who is so hard working, he's the future patriarch of the family. He has an old spirit.

 "I'm proud of all of my kids and I'm proud that we're a strong family unit. We learned a lot from Gary's loss to Vasyl Lomachenko. We have a motto at the gym that hangs from a banner, it says 'Success is the Ultimate Revenge' and we've lived by that ever since the loss. We learned an important lesson from that fight and have moved on.

 "Boxing is a fleeting thing, you don't do it forever. We're doing our own thing. I'm not worried about what other people have done. 

 "As a father, your paternal instinct kicks in because in this sport, anything can happen. You don't want to see your son end up hurt. So we train for any circumstance. Because of that instinct, I've been strict and hard on my sons in order to try to keep them safe."

GARY ANTONIO RUSSELL 

(Fighting on the Friday, Oct. 30 non-televised Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce TV undercard and potentially the November 14 undercard.):

"With the way we train and fight, our defense sets up our offense and our offense sets up our defense. 

 "My job is to go in there and win fights. I know my opponent is a tall guy, but I also know that he is not going to win. He doesn't have the punching power or ring generalship that I have.

"Once I win, I'm on to the next. I'm trained to fight consistently. I hope I get this guy out early, if it comes and presents itself. Then I'd love to fight on my older brother's card two weeks after."

Follow Gary Russell Sr. on Twitter @BigGaryRussell
            Gary Russell Jr. @mrgaryrusselljr
also Antonio Russell @GAntonioRussell

(Photos courtesy of SHOWTIME)

Amateur Beltway Boxers In Memphis, TN For Final US Olympic Team Qualifier!

Tiara Brown

I her second trip to the Olympic Trials. Tiara Brown already has won a gold medal at 126 pounds at the World Championships in 2012. 

Amelia Moore

This is her first trip to the Olympic Trials.

Franchon Crews

Crews is looking forward to making her second trip back to the Olympic Trials, and competing for a spot on the 2016 Olympic Team.

Iesha Kenney

 Won two-time bronze medalist at the Junior and Youth World championships. Iesha will be the youngest competitor in the entire Olympic Trials tournament.

******************************************************************

Beltway Boxers participating in the final qualifier:

Lightweight (132 Pounds)

Jalonte Cole, Burke, VA

Ernest Hall, Baltimore, MD

Ebrima Jawara, Gaithersburg, MD

William Sawin, Alexandria, VA

Sippriano Zelldon, Silver Spring, MD

Light Welterweight (141 Pounds)

Dante Cox, Severn, MD

Sammie Smith, Hyattsville, MD

Keeshawn Williams, Washington, DC

Welterweight (152 Pounds)

Jonathan Burrs, Frederick, MD

Nigel Fennell, Salisbury, MD

Middleweight (165 Pounds)

Jason Bell-Edwards, District Heights, MD

Tavon Body, Burtonsville, MD

Clinso Brumfield, Alexandria, VA

Jordon Payne, Hyattsville, MD

Donald Wallace, Catonsville, MD

Light Heavyweight (178 Pounds)

Justin Bell-Edwards, Temple Hills, MD

Mark Duncan, Clarksburg, MD

Heavyweight (201 Pounds)

Samuel Smith, Clinton, MD

Super Heavyweight (201+ Pounds)

Colby Madison, Owings Mills, MD