Gervonta Davis is pound-for-pound one of the most explosive punchers in the sport.
The 5′ 5″ southpaw from Baltimore has been taken the distance just twice in his professional campaign, ending all other 28 fights by stoppage. Of those knockouts, 20 have come in the first six rounds.
Currently the WBA Lightweight World Champion having also won belts at super-feather and super-lightweight, there’s a strong argument that ‘Tank’ is far and away the hardest puncher in and around those exciting divisions. According to one past opponent though that is not the case.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Rolando Romero – who fell victim to a Davis left hook in the sixth round of their fight – said that 41-year-old Venezuelan Ismael Barroso hits ‘way harder.’
“Oh [Barroso hits harder]. I ain’t gonna lie, he punches way harder. Like when I mean way harder, I mean every punch felt like a damn rock. I’m telling you.”
‘Rolly’ faced Barroso in 2023, one year on from the loss to Davis and one weight class up. The bout was for the vacant WBA Super-Lightweight World Title.
Barroso scored a knockdown in the third round and continued to sting Romero with good shots thereafter. In the ninth, the Venezuelan went down himself on what was more of a push than a punch. It was called as a knockdown, though, and in the ensuing exchange referee Tony Weeks stepped in early and called the fight for Romero, extremely controversially.
Barroso, in the minds of most, could have become world champion that night. He bounced back in his next fight by demolishing Brit Ohara Davies in one round to win the WBA Interim belt but would be stopped himself against Andy Hiraoka in September of this year. As of writing, the hard-hitting southpaw has a record of 25 wins, 23 by knockout, and five losses.
