Gervonta Davis dedicates win over Isaac Cruz to NBA legend Kobe Bryant

Davis defeated Mexican challenger Cruz for his lightweight title at the Staples Center on Sunday night, where Bryant played his entire legendary career for the LA Lakers

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Gervonta Davis dedicated his win over Isaac Cruz to Kobe Bryant after retaining his title in a gruelling 12-round scrap.

Cruz was game for the challenge at the Staples Center, where Bryant played his entire 20-year career for the LA Lakers, but ultimately came up short to the WBA regular lightweight champion Davis.

Davis made the walk flanked by promoter and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, wearing Bryant-inspired gear with Lakers colours and the basketball star’s numbers eight and 24, for what was expected to be another stoppage win in his impressive seven-year run.

But Cruz hadn’t read the script, and started the bout aggressively by taking the fight to Davis, having stepped in on just a few weeks’ notice to replace Rolando Romero.

Davis found his rhythm in the second and third, taking vital early rounds from his challenger that would stand him in good stead with the judges as the fight progressed.

But in the fourth, Cruz shifted his game plan, working the champion’s body and attempting to stifle the offence of Davis, who had stopped all but one of his opponents in his previous 25 wins.

Davis’ boxing was much improved during the middle rounds as he fired out shots at an impressive pace before moving away from Cruz’s aggressive, if wild, offence.

And he almost had his stoppage in the eighth when he buzzed the challenger with a big shot that excited the generally pro-Cruz crowd.

But it wasn’t to be an early night for Davis, as Cruz’s aggressive outlook that saw him take a shot to land one proved fruitful with a flush uppercut towards the round’s end.

The fans learned to support a new top lightweight in California as they began to root for away fighter Cruz, and many felt he had done enough to win the fight as he finished strong in the championship rounds.

However, it didn’t work out that way, with Davis taking the unanimous decision with scorecards of 116-112 and two of 115-113.

Davis made sure to pay tribute to Bryant in his post-fight speech, announcing that he was dedicating his win to the basketball legend, who passed away in January 2020.

“L.A., we did it for Kobe,” Davis told a crowd that included NBA stars Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kawhi Leonard, Dwight Howard, Kenny Smith, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce among others.

Would Gervonta Davis beat George Kambosos Jr or Devin Haney if they fought next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

“At the beginning of the fight, he came on strong – I felt as the fight was going, he was breaking down.

“But I hurt my hand, so I wasn’t able to get him out of there.”

Davis holds the WBA regular world title, which is one of the major belts at 135lbs, with George Kambosos Jr holding the super title, as well as the IBF, WBO and WBC “franchise”.

Meanwhile, Devin Haney is the legitimate WBC champion, and a bout between he and Kambosos seems likely for the undisputed title in 2022.

However, Davis didn’t seem all too interested in a bout with either man after the bout, declaring that both would be easy fights for the knockout artist.

“Whatever the best opportunity is for me, I’ll do it,” he continued. “All of them guys are easy work. I’m the top dog.”