The 13th Round: Three Major Takeaways From Gervonta Davis-Héctor Luis García

Gervonta “Tank” Davis does a backflip after extending his unbeatend streak to 28 fights. (Amanda Wescott/Showtime)

In today’s era of boxing, major fights typically don’t take place in January. This year, things are a bit different. After a solid year of boxing that failed to deliver a few of the bigger fights that many fans hoped for, 2023 is off to a hot start thanks Gervonta “Tank” Davis. For the first time in more than five years, the Baltimore, Maryland native and Showtime brought pay-per-view boxing back to the nation’s capital. Not only did Davis make the drive from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., but Showtime Sports also brought along Jaron “Boots” Ennis, “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Brandun Lee. With all of the champions, contenders and prospects on the bill, there was no chance that this event would not deliver. By the end of the night, fans were treated to an upset, an unexpected finish and a showstopping fight that didn’t even take place in the ring.

“Speedy” Rashidi Ellis v. Jaron “Boots” Ennis Unlikely To Move Forward

At the final press conference on Thursday, Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Héctor Luis García did not produce the majority of verbal fireworks. Instead, a back-and-forth between welterweight contenders “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis and Jaron “Boots” Ennis caught the attention of many attendees. Ellis and Ennis shared a few kind words after the idea of a potential fight between the two was presented.

“If you get a victory, could you see an Ellis-Ennis fight [taking place] to determine who is going to be the future of the division?” ESPN and Showtime’s Brian Custer asked.

“Let’s go,” Ennis exclaimed.

“Everybody knows what I want. If they’re paying, I’m playing,” Ellis answered.

What Ellis wants next changed a bit on Saturday night. The man standing in between the Massachusetts native and a bout with Ennis, Roiman Villa, had no interest in letting him off easy. While Ellis was able to jump out to an early lead against the Venezuelan fighter, Villa was able to slow down the welterweight contender in the last third of the fight. In the 12th and final round, Villa punctuated his victory with two knockdowns. Ultimately, two of the three judges scored the bout in favor of Villa, handing Ellis his first loss as a professional.

At 29 years old, “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis doesn’t have too much time to waste. He has already called for a rematch with Villa and it appears that the Venezuelan fighter is open to the possibility. With that said, a showdown with Ennis appears to be out of the question for now as the Philadelphia native pursues bigger fish in the sea.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis Is The Biggest Draw In American Boxing

Boxing is an international sport that pulls fighters from around the world and turns them into stars. Hailing from Guadalajara, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the biggest draw in boxing currently. Not far behind, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are the most commercially viable fighters that the United Kingdom has produced since Lennox Lewis. Coming out of Baltimore, Maryland, Gervonta “Tank” Davis has cemented himself as the biggest star in American boxing today.

Deontay Wilder, Errol Spence Jr., Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo and Terence Crawford are all capable of drawing in fights for major fights, but no American boxer does it quite like Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Last year, Madonna and Naomi Osaka showed up to see him fight Rolando “Rolly” Romero. On Saturday, Meek Mill, Lil’ Baby, and Maryland Governor-Elect Wes Moore were on the guest list. Not to mention, current and former NBA players like Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Stephen Jackson and Rasheed Wallace were in attendance. To top it all off, current and former world champions like Stephen Fulton Jr., Gary Russell Jr. and Shawn Porter were also sitting ringside.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis has been able to sell out venues in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and many other cities. In today’s boxing landscape, the ability to sell out venues in any and every city is difficult. It also opens up the possibility for Davis to take his talents to other cities like Washington, D.C. that don’t get major fights often. Who is to say that the Baltimore native couldn’t bring a pay-per-view event to Chicago, New Orleans, Toronto or Memphis? Davis truly has an opportunity to grow the sport of boxing within the U.S. by taking his talents to cities that don’t get to enjoy fights such as his.

Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade Has A Clear Path Forward

The skills of Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade are unquestioned. He is an awkward, slick fighter with an extremely high boxing IQ. Not to mention, he’s won world titles in two weight classes while maintaining a perfect record over 15 years. With all of that said, he’s never shared the ring with an opponent that drew in casual fans or many insiders thought would beat him. As he enters the super middleweight division under the Premier Boxing Champions banner, he has a chance to change all of that. Throughout the week, he has called for fights with David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, David Morrell and Caleb Plant.

“I’m here at Showtime. Charlo, Plant, Benavidez, anybody at 168 that’s gonna put on a great fight is what I’m looking for,” Andrade said during an open media workout, per Boxing Scene.

There was one man standing in the way of Andrade’s plan of taking on the best fighters of the super middleweight division. Hailing from Laurel, Maryland, Demond Nicholson entered Saturday’s bout with a record of 26-4-1. While Nicholson kept the aggression he carried in the press conference into the ring, Andrade proved to be the quicker, more skilled fighter. Securing a shutout, decision victory, the Rhode Island native can now pursue the bigger fights he has pushed for.

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