It’s been not since 2016 since any fights from the District of Columbia made it to Showtime, or any community for that matter. Comprehensible, for the reason that final was the disappointing Badou Jack versus Lucian Bute affair on the DC Armory in 2016. DC combat playing cards have been eclipsed by fights from Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, and others held throughout the Potomac on the MGM Nationwide Harbor for the final a number of years. So, it was a pleasant shock to see Gervonta “Tank” Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) select to tackle Hector Luis Garcia (16-1, 10 KOs) at a big venue just like the CapitalOne Enviornment. General, it was good, not nice, night time on the fights that also resulted in gorgeous vogue.
Among the many pay-per-view countdown fights there have been just a few standouts. Welterweight prospect Travon Marshall (7-0, 6 KOs) annihilated Shawn “The Exception” West (7-3-1, 4 KOs) with a blitz of physique pictures in 0:48 of the primary spherical. Mild welterweight Brandun Lee (27-0, 23 KOs) stopped Diego Ganzalo Luque (21-11-2, 10 KOs) in dominating vogue at 2:55 of the fourth spherical. Lee was initially pensive behind the jab, main one enthusiastic fan to shout, “Cease bullshitting and get him the fuck out of right here!” Lastly, gentle middleweight Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr (14-1, 9 KOs) continued his march again with a fourth-round stoppage of Omar Rosales (9-2-1, 5 KOs). Mielnicki clobbered Rosales with repeated left and proper hooks to the pinnacle all through the third spherical till dropping him shortly earlier than the bell, then continued the hook assault till Rosales’s nook threw within the towel at 0:26 of the fourth.
Lastly, got here the televised pay-per-view fights heralded by “The Stylish” Jimmy Lennon Jr. First up was former WBO gentle middleweight/middleweight champ Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) shifting as much as tremendous middleweight towards Maryland fringe contender Demond Nicholson (26-5-1, 22 KOs). Andrade management the tempo of the motion simply, that’s, till Nicholson stunned him within the fifth with a combo that dropped Andrade. Inexplicably this acquired dominated a slip by referee Malik Waleed. The sixth turned a back-and-forth affair as every fighter landed telling pictures on the opposite, punctuated with Nicholson taunting Andrade on the bell to combat. Taunting was all Nicholson appear to have from this level on, Andrade took full management within the seventh and punctuated it with a second knockdown of Nicholson on the bell. Respect was earned, because the fighters hugged one another within the ultimate spherical as Andrade took the unanimous determination (100-88 on all three playing cards) after dropping Nicholson for a 3rd time.
Subsequent, rising welterweight star “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis 25-0, 15 KOs) put in a considerably boring displaying towards Venezuelan energy puncher Roiman Villa (25-2, 24 KOs) that backfired on him. The primary spherical noticed Ellis largely preventing on the backfoot, letting Villa slam headshots into his gloves. The occasional buying and selling of punches apart, this combat was largely Ellis capturing a single jab, then stepping again as Villa would swing and miss. Ellis would have Villa chase him from nook to nook whereas blocking punches. Repeat. It wasn’t till spherical 9 that something resembling an actual combat occurred, as they lastly traded arduous and heavy with one another late. Then, within the tenth, Villa’s energy actually woke the group up as he lastly managed to get by way of in a giant means with overhand rights and combos discovering their mark. All Ellis might do was climate the storm from right here on out. Within the twelfth, Villa actually poured it on, dropping Ellis within the first minute with a wonderfully timed left hook that left Ellis trying shocked, then clobbered Ellis into the ropes for a second knockdown within the ultimate seconds. Fortunately, that late surge gave Villa the sting as he received by way of majority determination (114 -112, 114-112, 113-113). Ellis could have thought his defense-first plan was this most secure path to a possible title combat with IBF titlist Errol Spence, Jr., nevertheless it made for a largely uninteresting show that in the long run price him the combat.
Earlier than the co-feature started Jimmy Lennon known as a memorial ten-count for famed “motion fighter’s referee” Steve Smoger, 35-year veteran decide Jerry Roth, and Gleason’s Fitness center coach Hector Roca. Contemplating Jaron Ennis’s repute for early knockouts, you wouldn’t have been silly to assume that his combat with Ukrainian Karen Chukhadzhian wouldn’t have lasted for much longer than the ten-count. You’ll have been fallacious although. Regardless of sporting a low KO proportion, Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) appeared cautious and unwilling to commerce with Chukhadzhian (21-1, 11 KOs) for the primary a number of rounds of the combat. He tossed out jabs and danced across the ring a lot as Ellis had the earlier combat. It wasn’t till spherical 5 that the 2 traded pictures of substance, and it was clearly Ennis’s pictures that had been having the larger impact. Chukhadzhian was having some success, however largely it was Ennis rocking the Ukrainian spherical after spherical. Ennis ended up taking it unanimously 120-108 on all three the playing cards. Respect to Chukhadzhian for having the ability to keep in there with Ennis, however he did little greater than present he might preserve from getting knocked out by a profession energy puncher.
Ultimately, it was time for Gervonta “Tank” Davis to come back to the ring. Clearly the favourite coming in, Davis was anticipated to point out spectacularly towards a brilliant featherweight titlist like Garcia developing in weight. Davis didn’t disappoint…form of. Climbing into the ring with police line tape caught to his shoe, he performed to the adoring crowd of 19,731 in attendance that roared each time his title was spoken. The opening two rounds had been surprisingly uneventful as neither fighter threw a lot of substance. It wasn’t till the fourth when Garcia began urgent the motion that Davis, in flip, got here alive. They had been buying and selling blows, however Davis’s crushing higher cuts to the physique and hooks to the pinnacle rocked Garcia. Nevertheless, Garcia gave pretty much as good as he took, slowing Davis’s assault with vicious physique pictures as he would attempt to are available in, taking the sixth spherical handily. The seventh was an actual even struggle as they traded bombs till a scuffle within the crowd pressured referee Earl Brown to name a trip till it could possibly be handled. Spherical eight noticed Davis actually unload on Garcia, deliver the group to a fever pitch because the bell sounded whereas Garcia needed to be directed to his nook whereas seemingly dazed. Garcia, it appeared, had had sufficient. Garcia’s nook stopped it 13 seconds into the beginning of the ninth, giving Davis the assertion win he got here for.
Davis takes this large win with him a mandate for his potential grudge match combat with gentle welterweight star Ryan Garcia. A combat that’s been in banded round since a scuffle that has been drummed up in social media circles, it ought to show a cracker of a combat. That’s, if it they will conform to make a combat each individuals are clamoring to see and the fighters say they need. That, sadly in boxing, is one thing any fan is aware of is far simpler stated than completed.