Davis KO's Garcia in 7

Photos - Esther Lin/SHOWTIME

Boxing’s biggest fight to date took place as undefeated boxing superstars Gervonta “Tank” Davis (29-0, 27 KO’s) of Baltimore and “King” Ryan Garcia (23-1, 19 KO’s) of Victorville, California squared off at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was fun while it lasted as Davis scored an early knockdown and went from there finishing Garcia in the seventh.

Garcia came out shooting the jab and displayed some flash in the opening round as Davis pawed and attempted to work his way in. Davis held for dear life in round two as Garcia connected flush but Ryan got careless and a hard counter left by Davis sat Garcia down. Starting off at a slow pace in round three, Garcia kept his distance snapping the jab and boxing as Davis measured with his jab, a wild looping left by Garcia missed in the later part. In the fourth, Davis and Garcia stuck the jab, shortly after Davis connected with a lunging counter left.

Stalking away in the fifth, Garcia went head hunting and nearly got countered by a Davis left. At the midway point in the sixth, Garcia had a good round as he jabbed and connected solidly with the right hand snapping Davis's head. Past the halfway point in the seventh, Davis landed a hard crunching left to the body, Garcia backed up and with a delayed reaction took a knee as referee Thomas Taylor reached a ten count at1:44 of the seventh.

Morrell Jr. Knockouts Falcao in One

WBA super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. (9-0, 8 KO’s) of Minnesota by way of Cuba had a quick night in scoring a spectacular first round knockout over Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao (24-2-1, 10 KO’s) of Brazil in the co-feature bout. Morrell Jr. rocked Falcao early in the opening round as he turned his back staggered and received a standing eight count. After the count, Morrell finished him with a crushing short right hand and knocked Falcao out cold, prompting the referee to immediately stop the fight at 2:22.

David Morrell, Jr.

“I’m so excited. This was a big moment and a big night for me, so a knockout in the first round is incredible. But this is boxing. First round, second round, I’m not worried when the knockout comes but I got it in the first round.

“I think this is the best moment of my career tonight. It was a big event and a big name. I want to fight the best in the division.

“Much respect to Yamaguchi. I’m glad he’s okay. He’s a good guy and a good boxer.

“David Benavidez is next. Where is he? I want to fight Benavidez, man. He’s next, 100 percent. I don’t want any other guys at 168 pounds. Just Benavidez. I respect Benavidez and his team, but inside the ring, I don’t respect nothing.”

Bully Avenges Defeat

It was sweet revenge in the rematch as super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev (12-1, 9 KO’s) from Uzbekistan avenged his only defeat to Gabriel Rosado (26-17-1, 15 KO’s). Bek the "Bully" came out cautious not bullying his way in the opening round as Rosado worked with the jab sizing up Melikuziev. It was cat and mouse in the second, as Bek stalked and Rosado kept his distance boxing patiently. Drawing boos from the crowd in the third, fans began to show their impatience as Rosado and Melikuziev boxed cautiously. Bek began to let loose in the fourth as he backed Rosado and stalked most of the round. In the fifth, Bek connected with some hard shots as he backed up Rosado.

Past the halfway point in the sixth, Melikuziev kept pressing as Rosado appeared to be on the defensive in keeping his distance backing up. Melikuuziev was the aggressor late in the fight in the seventh as he began to live up the bully moniker backing Rosado and connecting big punches. Bek kept backing Rosado in the eighth and continuing to land the bigger punches. It was all Bek in the ninth as he kept pressing and backing Rosado, the veteran showed some elusiveness dodging a few of Melikuziev's wild shots. Being the aggressor and busier fighter, Melikuziev finished strong as Rosado held on and showed his veteran grit in going the distance ten rounds.

After completing ten rounds all three judges scored the bout 99-91.

Bektemir Melikuziev

“This was the fight that I wanted. This is the fight that I felt like I made a mistake in the first one, and I had this opportunity for revenge on such a big card. It’s a pleasure for me.

“In the first fight against Rosado, I underestimated my opponent. This time, we put the work in during camp. We went through everything. This time, the goal was to showcase my skills, box and punish him as much as possible too.”

Elijah Garcia Opens PPV

Opening the Davis-Garcia pay per view, 19-year-old middleweight Elijah Garcia (15-0, 12 KO’s) of Phoenix won a hard-fought unanimous decision over Mexico City’s tough Kevin Salgado (15-1-1, 10 KO’s). It was a slow and patient opening round for Garcia as he lurked behind the jab and later connected Salgado with a straight left. Things picked up in the second as Garcia and Salgado mixed it up. Salgado was not holding back as he stood in the pocket with Garcia in round three. Swingy wildly and missing in the fourth, Salgado kept pressing but Garcia stood poised and mixed it up. Coming up on the halfway point in the fifth round, referee Robert Hoyle warned Salgado to pick up the punches for a low blows a pair of times.

In the sixth, Garcia began to connect flush backing Salgado. A third low blow landed by Salgado in the seventh prompted Hoyle to deduct a point from the Mexican, later in the round Garcia connected with a solid uppercut to the body. Garcia appeared to be taking control of the fight in the eighth as Salgado was fading away. Letting the hands go, Garcia was busy in the ninth as Salgado kept pressing. The tenth round saw Garcia fighting from a distance popping the jab as Salgado kept coming, later in the round Garcia connected with a straight left snapping Salgado’s head. Fighting to the final bell, Garcia closed landing a flush shot on the tough Mexican Salgado.

Judges scores were 97-92, 97-92, and 95-94 for Garcia.

Elijah Garcia

“I was standing a little too still trying to fight on the inside. Salgado is a tough opponent. He was real tough, real strong and I just had to move and box a little bit. Other than that, it was a good, hard 10 rounds. I give my opponent 100 percent props.

“I stayed in shape one hundred percent after my last fight. Back-to-back camps, and not only that, but I made boxing a lifestyle. I’m always in the gym, eating good and doing the best I can to stay healthy.

“I just have to continue getting better in the gym every single day. That’s what it’s about. I learned a lot today. It was my first time going past six rounds and I got the full 10. The fights like this will get me closer to a world title.

"It feels great to get this win on a big stage. I feel like I'm getting better with each fight. I know I have a long way to go, but I like where I'm at. I'm hoping to get right back in the ring soon."

Preview Show Results

Undefeated middleweight Fedor Czerkaszyn (22-0, 14 KOs) stopped Elias Espadas (22-6, 15 KOs) Yucatan, Mexico late in the ninth. Czerkaszyn broke down Espadas and was on the attack as Espadas turned his back forcing the referee to stop the fight at 2:07.

New Jersey’s super welterweight Vito Mielnicki, Jr. (15-1, 10 KOs), scored a fourth round stoppage over Mexico’s Jose Charles (20-4-1, 12 KOs) on the Showtime PPV Countdown opener. Mielnicki dropped Charles a pair of times in the third. A crushing right hand did it in the fourth as the referee immediately waved off the bout at 33 seconds of the fourth.

Middleweight prospect Lorenzo Simpson (14-0, 7 KOs) won a six round unanimous decision over Pachino Hill (8-2-1, 6 KOs). Hill was poised boxing away from the southpaw stance, countering away. Beating Hill to the punch, Simpson continued to outbox his opponent as he displayed the ring generalship halfway through the bout. Ripping away combinations, Simpson began to slide away with the fight in route to a decision win. The judges scored the bout 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55.

Lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield (15-0, 12 KOs) knocked out Mexico’s Valentin Leon Jr. (23-2-2, 19 KOs) of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico in two. Schofield laid out Leon just as the referee immediately waved it off at 1:51 of the second.

Super welterweight prospect Jalil “Major” Hackett (6-0, 5 KOs) scored a third round stoppage over Jason Phillips (3-3-2). Hackett took it to Phillips dropping him in the third round and finished him off with a vicious left hook to the body crunching Phillips to his knees as the referee waived it at 2:20 of the third.

Starting things off from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, bantamweight Cuttino Oliver (3-0, 2 KO) stopped Roberto Cantu Pena (3-3, 3 KOs) from Tamaulipas, Mexico, in round three.