Tag: Showtime Pay-Per-View

Gervonta Davis, Leo Santa Cruz agree to fight in fall: reports

Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz have reached an agreement in principle to fight at 130 pounds this fall on pay-per-view.

Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz appear to have a deal.

The Athletic is reporting that Davis and Santa Cruz have reached an agreement in principle to fight at 130 pounds this fall. The bout is expected to be televised on Showtime Pay-Per-View.

BoxingScene.com had quoted Leonard Ellerbe of Mayweather Promotions earlier as saying that Davis’ next fight would be against Santa Cruz.

The fight had been projected for June at Staples Center in Los Angeles but it was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Leo Santa Cruz will be Tank’s next fight, and we’re working through all the aspects of when that might be,” Ellerbe told BoxingScene,com. “We’re working through the details as we speak. We were headed in one direction, and then the pandemic came. We’re regrouping. I can assure you and the fans that both guys want the fight.

“Leo is very adamant to fight the biggest and baddest guy out there in Tank Davis. I respect that. It’s a great time for the 130 and 135 pound division. There are a number of excellent fights that can be made. Tank will show all of the critics why he’s one of the best fighters in the world.”

The weight is an interesting element in this matchup.

Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) initially failed to make the 135-pound limit in his most recent fight, a 12th-round TKO of Yuriorkis Gamboa in December. He made 130 against Ricardo Nunez five months earlier. Can he do it again?

Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) moved from 126  to 130 for his last fight, a unanimous decision victory that gave him a vacant title. Santa Cruz gave a so-so performance, raising questions about his ability to fight at an elite level at that weight.

Stephen Espinoza of Showtime told BoxingScene that the fight would take place when fans are allowed to return to arenas.

“We were very close [to finalizing a deal before the coronavirus took hold],” Espinoza said. “It’s an interesting one, because the fight will do a very good gate regardless of where it is. The fight could fit naturally in Los Angeles. If L.A. is not ready, certainly Vegas or Texas would make reasonable choices. I do think that will be one of the first few fights we have when we’re back in business.

“A lot of people were surprised at that match-up. Leo is absolutely adamant that he wants the fight. It’s the only fight he wants. He sees something in Davis that guarantees him success. Tank is a physical challenge for anyone, but Leo is undaunted and he’s persistent.”

Deontay Wilder playing with fire by fighting Luis Ortiz again

Luis Ortiz came within a few punches of knocking out Deontay Wilder in March of last year yet Wilder agreed to fight him again.

Say what you want about Deontay Wilder but you have to agree: The man has nerve.

Luis Ortiz came within a few punches of knocking out the heavyweight titleholder in March of last year but Wilder survived and turned the tables, stopping Ortiz in Round 10. So what does Wilder do? He agrees to fight Ortiz again.

He didn’t have to do that, which isn’t lost on one interested party.

“Deontay Wilder is a throwback fighter like me, and we both want to fight the best,” said Ortiz, who, like Wilder, arrived Tuesday at the MGM Grand for their fight Saturday in Las Vegas. “I believe I’m the best and that’s why I’m getting this rematch.”

Wilder (41-0-1, 40 knockouts) seconded that notion.

“Even though I knocked Ortiz out the first time, it was an amazing fight,” he said. “That was the fight that I was challenged the most. I understand why none of the other heavyweights want to fight Ortiz.

Luis Ortiz arrives at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his second shot at Deontay Wilder on Saturday. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions

“He’s very dangerous and I blessed him with a second chance,” continued Wilder. “Fans always get their money’s worth when I’m on the big stage.”

Wilder is coming off a Knockout of the Year candidate in May, a one-punch stoppage of Dominic Breazeale in Brooklyn. That followed Wilder’s controversial draw with Tyson Fury, who waits in the wings to see who will win on Saturday.

Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) has beaten three journeymen since the setback against Wilder, the last being a unanimous-decision victory over Christian Hammer in March.

However, the 40-year-old Cuban also has destroyed the contenders he has faced since turning pro in 2010, which is why few heavyweights have been eager to face him. Among his victims: Lateef Kayode, Bryant Jennings, Tony Thompson and Malik Scott.

Wilder and Ortiz appear to be serious about their rematch. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions

Ortiz expects to give a vintage performance on Saturday.

“I’m focused on this fight and this fight only and doing everything to have my hand raised Saturday night,” he said.

Wilder also is confident.

“People know what I’m able to do to another human being inside of that ring,” he said. “I can’t wait for Saturday night.”

Luis Ortiz says knockout loss to Deontay Wilder last year haunts him

Luis Ortiz has had difficulty getting over his loss to Deontay Wilder last year and promises things will be different in the rematch.

Luis Ortiz still has difficulty accepting his knockout loss to Deontay Wilder in March of last year.

Ortiz, who faces Wilder in a rematch on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, had his rival hurt badly in a dramatic seventh round of their first fight – Ortiz’s first shot at a major title – only to get stopped himself in the 10th.

The Cuban has won three consecutive fights since then to earn another shot at Wilder and his belt.

“The entire team has been able to put it in perspective … and to move forward,” Ortiz said through a translator to a group of reporters recently. “I obviously don’t take it as well. It’s a thorn in my side. The difference being, obviously, is that I not only trained harder, but trained smarter.

“So, if the seventh round appears again, it’s going to be a smarter seventh round. And I’ll definitely show what should’ve happened in the first fight.”

Luis Ortiz says he won’t waste an opportunity against Deontay Wilder a second time. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

The 40-year-old contender went on: “There are no excuses. It is what it is. The first fight’s over. We’re talking about this fight and I’m going to get the victory this time. Obviously, things are being done differently. But in the ring, that’s where it’s decided. …

“My state of mind is very different coming into this second fight. Not that I wasn’t focused in the first fight, but I took the loss to heart. It still hurts. I’m still very upset over it, emotionally. I want to be world champion. That’s not just a phrase I throw out there to please the (media). I want to do this and I want to become a world champion.”

The Wilder-Ortiz fight will be available on Showtime Pay-Per-View.