Four-division champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz previewed his upcoming SHOWTIME PPV main event against Gervonta “Tank” Davis during a virtual media workout Tuesday as he prepares for the highly anticipated showdown taking place Saturday, October 31 from Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
Santa Cruz and Davis will fight for the WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight championships in the rare clash in boxing history in which world titles in two weight classes will be at stake. Other notable instances in recent boxing history are the 1988 Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Donny Lalonde fight for the light heavyweight and super middleweight titles, and the 2014 Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana rematch for the super welterweight and welterweight championships.
The event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, GTD Promotions and Santa Cruz Boxing Club. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. The Alamodome has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. All fans attending the event will be screened upon entry and are required to wear a mask as well as follow social distancing guidelines. Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as “pods” to maintain distance between groups not from the same party. For more information, visit Alamodome.com.
Here is what the workout participants had to say Tuesday in Los Angeles:
LEO SANTA CRUZ
“I’m looking forward to being the main event on pay-per-view. We’re going to lay it all out on the line and give a great show for the fans.
“Being the underdog is definitely extra motivation. People think I’m the smaller guy, but I asked for this fight for a reason. I’m ready to prove everyone wrong.
“People thought I didn’t want to fight big names or challenging opponents, so who better to fight than Gervonta Davis? He has great skills and great power. I’m going to show everyone that I’m not scared of anyone.
“This is the hardest fight of my career, so I’m training harder than ever. This is the best camp I’ve ever had and I feel strong and ready. I’ve never been in this good of shape.
“People are doubting me. So that just makes me want to go out there even more and give a great fight. I want to prove myself, compete and give it my all.
“Gervonta doesn’t have the experience that I have. I have to watch out the first few rounds and be careful, but I’m still a warrior who wants to mix it up. We’re going to do a little of both the brawling and boxing. In the end, I know that I have to do whatever I can to win the fight.
“Hearing the fans in the crowd lifts me up. It’s extra motivation. They’re the ones who have got me in this position. I’m preparing hard so that I can give everyone their money’s worth. I’m going to risk it all and come out with the victory.
“It’s very special to be in this position. I don’t have the words to express how it makes me feel. I’m very grateful. This is what I’ve dreamed of since I was a child. Now that it’s here, I just can’t believe it and I can’t wait.
“I’ve learned that you always have to be hungry in the gym. You have to be hungry even if you’re already champion. I train like it’s for my first world title every time. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m going to give it my all.
“When you have a fighter on top of you throwing punches, you can’t think and you can get frustrated. I know he’s going to try to counterpunch me and I have to be smart. But I’m going to use everything in my arsenal to make sure he’s uncomfortable.
“Gervonta is dangerous until the last round. We’ve been practicing avoiding those big shots. I just have to listen to my corner and stay calm.
“I’ll be making history as a five-division world champion from Mexico if I win. I think the winner of the fight deserves to be on the pound-for-pound top 10 list, that just makes this fight even more important.”
ANTONIO SANTA CRUZ, Santa Cruz’s Brother and Co-Trainer
“Leo has put on some muscle and his power has gone up a lot. He’s looking really strong. People say that Gervonta is a monster in the ring, but I think Leo is going to be the monster on October 31.
“We always follow the advice of our father, Jose. He’s making the rules while I’m in the ring with Leo. He knows what he’s doing. He’s proven it fight after fight with Leo.
“Leo has brought his power up in weight with him. When he hits the mitts, I can feel the increased strength that he has. I think it’s going to help him in the ring because Gervonta is going to have to respect that power.
“Gervonta is a knockout artist, but I of course believe that Leo can take him. Leo is smart and so dedicated. He has the extra motivation in seeing our father still here fighting through his cancer. He sees how strong he is fighting and knows he can be strong enough to beat Gervonta.
“I think that Leo is going to throw too many punches and give too much pressure. Leo has the experience and the intelligence to get this win.”
ABOUT DAVIS VS. SANTA CRUZ
Davis vs. Santa Cruz will see three-time world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and four-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz battle for the WBA Super Featherweight and WBA Lightweight Championships headlining a SHOWTIME PPV Saturday, October 31 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The stacked undercard will feature unbeaten San Antonio native and WBA Super Lightweight Champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios defending his title against hard-hitting Ryan “Cowboy” Karl in the co-main event and former super lightweight world champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis will take on unbeaten contender Juan Heraldez in a 10-round showdown. In the telecast opener, lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Diego Magdaleno will battle in an IBF title eliminator bout.
