Gervonta Davis finished a boxing star inside just seven rounds, who’d eventually give Vasiliy Lomachenko all he could handle.
For years, the American and the Ukrainian have been embroiled in a fearsome rivalry, with fans desperate to see what would happen if they ever shared the ring.
Even now, Lomachenko’s manager is pushing for the Davis fight, saying he’d much rather his man take on ‘Tank’ than Shakur Stevenson.
However, while they’re yet to trade leather, there is one thing that the power puncher has over the 2x Olympic gold medallist.
WOW: Andrew Moloney gives a fascinating insight into sparring Vasiliy Lomachenko
Jose Pedraza got destroyed by Gervonta Davis, but gave Vasiliy Lomachenko a tough test
On January 14, 2017, Gervonta Davis challenged Jose Pedraza for the IBF super featherweight championship, inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
While it was the Maryland brawler’s first attempt at world honors, he looked like a fighter with significantly more experience as he annihilated his opponent, winning via a devastating right hook.
Almost two years later, on December 8, 2018, Pedraza had battled back to the top, winning the WBO lightweight title, which he was ready to defend against Vasiliy Lomachenko, in a unification bout, in which ‘Hi-Tech’ put his WBA strap on the line.
While the crowd at the Hulu Theater was expecting Lomachenko to deliver a similar performance to his arch-nemesis, on the night, he struggled to cope with the talented Puerto Rican.
While the favorite was in control for the majority of the bout, his opponent had flashes of brilliance, most notably in round ten, where he connected with excellent body shots.
Knowing the underdog was giving him a run for his money, in the eleventh, Lomachenko came out with a point to prove, dropping Pedraza twice, firstly with a right hand to the body, before a second shot to the midsection in the form of a left hook sent him to the canvas once more.
When the scores were read out at the end of 12 rounds, the pound-for-pound icon had clearly done enough for the win; however, unlike Tank, he’d been forced to go the distance.
Vasiliy Lomachenko was dropped by a boxing legend in an epic fight between two pound-for-pound superstars
While Pedraza pushed Lomachenko hard, the legend’s first contest at lightweight was even tougher.
Having already conquered two weight classes, the gifted operator was determined to claim a title in a third division.
However, in order to do so, he’d have to beat a generational talent.
In an epic fight, a future Hall of Famer dropped Lomachenko with a heavy right hand.