Davis stops Ruiz in 1st; Retains 130 lb title
Gervonta Davis retained the WBA Super Featherweight title with 1st round stoppage over late replacement Hugo Ruiz at The Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Davis dominated by landing lefts to the body and upstairs. With the nose of Ruiz already leaking blood, Davis landed a left hook that sent Ruiz to a knee. When he got to his feet, he was unresponsive to referee Jack Reiss’s questions, and the fight was stopped at 2:59.
Davis, 129.8 lbs of Baltimore is 21-0 with 20 knockouts. Ruiz, 129.4 lbs of Sinaloa, MEX is 39-5.
With his promoter Floyd Mayweather looking on, Davis made quick work of his late-replacement opponent. “I knew it was coming,” he said. “I wanted to go more rounds, but I knew if I got him out of there early I could fight again sooner. When I touched the jab I saw his arm was in front of his face so if I threw a hook or uppercut it was right in line.”
“As soon as he started landing punches, I could feel them,” Ruiz said. “I have a lot of first round knock outs, today was my turn to lose in the first round. It happens in boxing.”
Next up for Davis could be the winner of the March 2 Ricardo Nunez-Edner Cherry WBA Eliminator on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center. “We could do that,” Davis said. “At the end of the day I’m a fighter. I’m a fighter and I have a great team. One of the best in the sport. I believe in my team and whatever they line up, I’m ready.
Davis told SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray he’s ready for a sweet homecoming for his next fight. “Yes, sir. We’re coming to Baltimore. We’re going home, baby.”
Mario Barrios stopped Richard Zamora in round four of a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.
In round four, Barrios landed a big right hand that off a big flurry of punches. Barrios staggered Zamora with a big right to the chin. That was followed up by a flurry, and the fight was stopped with Zamora still on his feet at 2:16.
Barrios, 142.4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 22-0 with 15 knockouts. Zamora, 141.2 lbs of San Lois Potosi, Mexico.
“He wasn’t an easy target at all,” said Barrios, who sparred with Amir Khan and Devin Haney in training camp and is the WBA’s No. 1 ranked fighter at 140 pounds. We just used everything we worked on in camp to find my range.”
He added: “It was an amazing fight. I tip my hat to Zamora – he’s a hell of a warrior. I wish him nothing but the best for the rest of his career. Like he said at the press conference, he wanted a war and I brought it to him. Total respect to him.”
Zamora was making his United States debut. “I came to fight,” he said. “I didn’t come to lay down. I thought I still could have fought more. I don’t want to criticize the referee. He did what he had to do.”
Barrios said he’s ready for the next big step-up in his career. “That’s up to my managerial team,” he said. “Whenever they feel I’m ready I’ll fight for a world title. Any one of them. I am knocking down the door for a world title right now.”
Javier Fortuna won a 10-round unanimous decisions Sharif Bogere in a lightweight bout.
In round six, Bogere was cut over the right eye from a headbutt. Later in the round he went down from a half punch/half balance shot from Fortuna.
Fortuna, 135 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores 96-93 on all cards and is now 34-2-1. Bogere, 135.6 lbs of Las Vegas, NV 32-2.
“(The knock down) was correct,” said Fortuna, who said he would love a future shot against Davis. “I saw his eyes were a little glossy and his legs buckled a bit. When I saw that he was cut, the game plan changed again and we had to work again to attack the cut.”
Originally from Uganda but now living in Las Vegas, Bogere gave himself a seven out of 10 grade. “I think I won the fight,” he said. “Even the knockdown was bull. He kept coming at me with the head. He kept trying to head butt me. The challenge was that there was blood in my eye. The first couple of rounds I was boxing him easily.”
“What I want right now is a contract so I can fight Gervonta Davis wherever. Lomachenko, any of them,” said Fortuna, who had a No Decision against Adrian Granados last June on SHOWTIME after falling out of the ring in the fourth round suffering a head and neck injury.
Erickson Lubin stopped former world champion Ishe Smith after round three of a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout.
In round two, Lubin dropped Smith three times. In round three, it was an uppercut that sent Smith down, and the bout was stopped after the round.
Lubin, 155.8 lbs of Orlando, FL is 20-1 with 15 knockouts. Smith, 155.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-11.
Juan Heraldez stopped Eddie Ramirez in round seven of a scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout.
In round five, Heraldez dropped Ramirez twice with hard combinations. In round seven, Heraldez dropped Ramirez for a 3rd time, and the bout was stopped at 2:30.
Heraldez, 141.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 16-0 with 10 knockouts. Ramirez, 141.8 lbs of Chicago, IL 17-3.
