ATLANTA — Atlanta is preparing to host its biggest boxing match in more than two decades next month, when one of the sport's brightest young stars will challenge for the WBA lightweight title.
Gervonta "Tank" Davis, a direct, punishing fighter with 21 knockouts in 22 fights - all victories - will test himself on Dec. 28 at State Farm Arena against an accomplished veteran, Yuriorkis Gamboa.
The two held a press conference on Tuesday to preview the fight, which will be probably the most significant in Atlanta since Evander Holyfield fought Vaughn Bean for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles in 1998 at the Georgia Dome.
It might be the greatest test yet for Davis, who was described in 2017 by his hometown newspaper The Baltimore Sun as "like a smaller, left-handed Mike Tyson because of his vicious, dance-free style." A title holder at various times across multiple organizations at 130 pounds, the December fight will be Davis' first in the 135-pound lightweight division.
His opponent, the 37-year-old Cuban veteran Yuriorkis Gamboa, is an accomplished veteran - he holds a 30-2 career record, is the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was the unified featherweight world champion earlier in his career and once competitively fought Terence Crawford for the WBO lightweight title.
Davis said Tuesday he believes Gamboa will be his toughest opponent to date.
"Everyone in Atlanta is going to see a great war,” Gamboa promised on Tuesday. “It’s going to be two warriors fighting in the middle of that ring and may the best man win that night.”
If Davis can win, he will become the "regular" WBA lightweight title holder (because the WBA recognizes the champions of other organizations, when a boxer holds both its title and another organization's title, they declare him "super" champion and reopen a "regular" WBA title).
A win in Atlanta could be the start of a path that takes Davis all the way to Vasiliy Lomachenko, the unified lightweight champion (and WBA "super" lighweight titleholder) who is broadly considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
"Right now it was frustrating not being able to get big fights at 130," Davis told ESPN in September of his decision to move up a weight class. "So I'll move up and see who I can get at 135."
Davis said he wanted fight in Atlanta, hardly known as a boxing destination, because it's a city where's lived for some years and considers an adopted hometown.
"I always wanted to fight in Atlanta .. Atlanta is my second home," he said.
The fight is slated for 9 p.m. on Dec. 28 at State Farm Arena. Tickets are currently available for just more than $200 on the low end.
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