By Jeff Sorby
March 28, 2022
Source: Boxing 247
Photo Source: Ryan Hafey, Premier Boxing
Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero could pull off the upset and surprise many boxing fans in his fight on May 28th against unbeaten, highly touted Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis on Showtime PPV at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tim Bradley says that Rolly (14-0, 12 KOs) has the pressure size, power, and the style to beat the Mayweather-esque Tank Davis, who has already shown recently that he doesn’t like being pressed in his fight against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz on December 5th.
Tank revealed last week that this fight with the 26-year-old Rolly will be his last under his contract with Mayweather Promotions, and it appears that he’s going to move on and test the waters with another promoter.
That move makes sense for the 27-year-old Tank Davis, as he’ll be able to fight many of the top guys at 135 that he previously hadn’t had access to competing against due to Mayweather Promotions matching him against in-house opposition. The timing of Tank’s decision to potentially leave Mayweather Promotions could hurt his performance against Rolly. If Tank is distracted, not entirely focused 100% on the slugger Rolly, he can lose this fight.
With all the trash-talking that Rolly has been doing about Gervonta lately, he’s likely to be angry and want to go to war on May 28th, which will play into Rolando’s hands.
Tank Must Deal With Rolly’s Pressure
“Rolly was on the lookout because he’s just a different cat. Explosive, cocky, and a guy that is surprising and spontaneous,” said Tim Bradley to Fighthype. “He can surprise you and all it takes is one punch and he’s strong, he’s super strong.
“When you’re fighting a guy like Gervonta Davis that is technically sound, accurate with his shots, precise with his punches, and confident, it’s going to be tough for Rolly. “If somebody has the discipline to tame this beast and deal with his roughhouse tactics then he can beat, but not without a fight because he’s going to fight, there’s no doubt about it,” said Bradley about Rolly Romero being a tough opponent for Gervonta. “Facts, it can against any southpaw against any fighter, a lot of time pressure, even against Floyd Mayweather,” said Bradley when told that Gervonta struggled when pressured by Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz in their recent fight, and Rolly is capable of doing the same things with his aggressiveness, size and strength.
“Mayweather can isolate you with his movement, combinations, and his jab and his quick reflexes and quick responses off your counter.
“But we saw Maidana get in close [against Mayweather], we saw [Jose Luis] Castillo, Cotto, it was a lot of guys, but they still didn’t figure out the puzzle, but I’m just saying there’s a vulnerability there that I believe with Tank as well.
“If you can take his power, beat him to the body and pressure him, and you got to be able to punch too to be respected, then he’s beatable. Every fighter is beatable,” said Bradley about Gervonta being vulnerable.
Bradley hits it perfectly about Rolly being a lousy style for Tank Davis because he’s got all the elements to his game that can trouble the Baltimore native.
If Rolly takes the fight to Tank, roughs him up, and breaks through his hybrid Mayweather-esque style, he could bring out the vulnerability in his game.
Pitbull Cruz showed last December that Tank doesn’t do well against nonstop pressure by a fighter that is willing to take his shots.
Tank dishes out the punishment, but Cruz showed that he doesn’t like getting hit back and doesn’t deal with it well.
Rolly Predicting A First-Round Knockout “My focus is on Gervonta Davis, and Gervonta Davis is going to get knocked the f*** out,” said Rolly to Helen Yee Sports. “If Kambosos wants to fight Gervonta after I break his jaw, that’s on him. “I’m excited about that. I’m destined to be world champion,” said Rolly about his fight with Tank Davis on May 28th.”The extra time did help, so I’m happy.
“They f*** up by letting it go the first time, you know?” said Rolly about him being pulled from the December 5th fight against Gervonta after allegations surfaced about him. “Bet your house, bet everything you got that Rolly will knockout Tank, and we all get rich together,” said Rolando about his prediction on the Gervonta fight on May 28th for their Showtime PPV main event clash.
It’s unlikely that Rolly will be able to knockout Tank in the first round, but you never know. With Rolly’s power, he could land something big in the opening seconds that hurts Tank.
If there’s going to be a knockout, it’s more likely that Rolly will produce it in the later rounds when Tank tires out and is worn down from the many huge shots that he’ll be forced to eat in this fight.
Rolando wonders why Tank revealed problems
“The first 20 seconds of the fight,” said Rolly about him predicting a knockout of Tank Davis in the first round. “I don’t know why he decided to disclose that publically, but that’s his problem with Mayweather Promotions.
“It has nothing to do with me,” said Rolly when asked about Tank’s recent comment about this fight being his last with Mayweather Promotions.
For Tank to reveal to his followers last week that the Rolly fight will be his last one with Mayweather Promotions suggests that he’s not happy with them. There’s a lot of speculation from boxing fans about whether Tank is displeased at seeing the new kid on the block George Kambosos Jr. being involved in bigger fights than him against Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney and receiving more publicity.
Gervonta would be getting as much attention as Kambosos if he were matched against guys like Vasyl Lomachenko, Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Shakur Stevenson. Unfortunately, Mayweather Promotions have been matching him selectively against these fighters:
Isaac Cruz
Leo Santa Cruz
Yuriokis Gamboa
Mario Barrios
Ricardo Nunez
Hugo Ruiz
Jesus Andres Cuellar
Francesco Fonseca
Sadly, that lackluster bunch of fighters has consumed the last five years of Gervonta’s career. To say that Tank has missed out on a ton of fights that would have increased his superstar status considerably is an understatement.
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