With nine days until Christmas, talkSPORT is looking back at one thrilling knockout each day.
Up next it’s a reminder of when Gervonta Davis turned a former world champion’s legs to jelly and made him quit as Floyd Mayweather watched on from ringside.
As a teenager, Davis was an unstoppable force as he accumulated stoppage after stoppage.
The man known as Tank was also incredibly active as he fought six times in 2013, his first year as a professional.
Davis’ career received a tremendous boost just two years later when Floyd Mayweather took him under his wing.
Once he became a member of Mayweather Promotions, the spotlight intensified and the challenges in the ring became increasingly difficult for Davis.
One of those challenges came in the form of former IBF featherweight world champion Cristobal Cruz.
At 38 years old, Cruz was evidently past his prime.
But it takes serious boxing IQ and nous to become a world champion and the Mexican felt he could call on all of his experience against the fearless Davis.
Unfortunately for Cruz, experience counted for little when Davis came firing with his lethal arsenal of punches.
In fact, Davis knocked down the former champion with 50 seconds remaining in the first round.
Davis fired a powerful straight left that sent Cruz back into the ropes and onto the canvas, but the Mexican was able to beat the count and continue.
Cruz ate several thudding shots from Davis in the second round, but there was little he could do when ‘Tank’ cranked up the power in the third.
The Mexican over-reached when he threw a jab midway through the third round and Davis’ eyes lit up.
Davis fired off a short left hand that rocked Cruz, so much so that he held his hands up and curled up on the floor.
Remarkably, Cruz beat the count and got to his feet.
However, when Cruz was asked to walk to his left, the referee deemed he was unable to continue and subsequently waved off the fight.
Cruz was disappointed at the referee’s decision, but given the damage Davis had dished out within three rounds, a stoppage seemed inevitable.
Mayweather sat ringside for Davis’ three-round beatdown and went into the ring to celebrate his then-protege’s victory.
Fast forward to today and Davis is the WBA lightweight champion, but the relationship between him and Mayweather is non-existent.
The pair amicably split in 2022 when Davis decided to leave Mayweather Promotions, but have engaged in a war of words since.
Their latest verbal spat came when Mayweather suggested Davis’ fight against Frank Martin was cancelled and said fans should watch a UFC event instead.
Davis responded by calling Mayweather a ‘bitter b****’ and mocked the news his right-hand man Leonard Ellerbe had stepped down from his role as CEO of Mayweather Promotions.
