‘It Was Tough Getting to Him’ – Gervonta Davis Details Overcoming Early Adversity Against Mario Barrios

Gervonta Davis unleashed one of the best performances of his career by knocking out Mario Barrios for the WBA super lightweight title. The 12-rounds collision fell short of one round as Davis stopped his rival with brutal shots in the 11th. However, it wasn’t an easy night for ‘Tank’.

The Baltimore native entered the ring with several setbacks on his corner. From height to reach, Davis got dwarfed by ‘El Azteca’ under almost every physical attribute. However, that didn’t stop him from getting the win. After the fight, ‘Tank’ looked back at his performance and revealed how he beat Barrios.

“I just had to catch him, he was tough. You know, it was tough getting to him, I want to say. He [Mario Barrios] was tall, longer reach than mine. So, it was tough getting to him but once I got to him, you know that’s where we got the job done,” said Gervonta Davis.

Meanwhile, Barrios outpointed Davis a few times in the earlier stage. Akin to Leo Santa Cruz, Barrios also enjoyed his moments against ‘Tank’. However, he couldn’t have the last laugh. Here’s how the fight went till the 11 round.

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Gervonta Davis vs Mario Barrios- The title war

As hard-hitters, Davis and Barrios could have ended the showdown with just one shot. Hence, the fight appeared intense from the very first bell. As they took time to decode each other’s plan, the champion pugilists also exchanged haymakers. Barrios’ sheer advantage in height was evident, as he could comfortably dictate the range.

But Davis seemed hungrier as the fight went deeper. He constantly closed the gap and shot Barrios from inside. While the natural super lightweight boxer could dominate it in the initial stage, round 11 saw a different outcome.

Davis planted his combinations on Mario Barrios and scored back-to-back knockdowns. Although both men seemed eager to continue fighting, the referee called it off. Hence, Davis added another stellar win under his name and is now a three-weight undefeated world champion.

Who do you think Gervonta Davis should fight next?