Gervonta Davis ready to put weight questions behind him as he make weight for Santa Cruz

Gervonta Davis talked to FanSided the day before his weigh-in for his pay-per-view title bout against Leo Santa Cruz. He made weight and is ready to fight.

WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta enters his first pay-per-view event on Showtime against Leo Santa Cruz at the 130-pound junior lightweight limit. Weight has been an issue for Davis in the past, but he put those concerns behind him during the pre-fight weigh-in.

In 2017, Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) lost his IBF junior lightweight title on the scale. In his last contest against Yuriorkis Gamboa, Davis missed weight on his initial attempt but made the lightweight limit of 135 pounds the second time.

With a pay-per-view showdown on the line for two titles, as Santa Cruz’s WBA lightweight title is also up for grabs, there was added pressure on Davis’s shoulders. He has been asked about his weight more times than he can count, leading up to his fight with Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs), but Davis understood why. He took responsibility for his past mistakes.

After successfully making weight at the weigh-in, Gervonta Davis can enjoy his first pay-per-view bout against Leo Santa Cruz

“No, because I did make the mistake,” Davis told FanSided the day before his weigh-in. “It’s not me being mad about it. I’ve got to deal with it. Hopefully, after tomorrow evening, it will all go away. It comes with it. I made the mistake. It’s time for me to clear it up. Tomorrow it will show.”

Davis was right. At the official fight weigh-in, Davis came in at 129.8 pounds. Santa Cruz also made weight at 129.5 pounds. The matchup is on, and Davis is ready to show the world what he can do.

The stakes are higher for Davis than ever before. It’s his first time leading a pay-per-view contest, and he has a four-division champion as his opponent. Davis is blocking out the anxiety and is entirely focused on defeating Santa Cruz.

“The main goal is to go out there and put on a great performance,” said Davis. “That’s my main goal. As far as selling, selling is definitely one of the goals. My main goal is just to go out there and put on a great performance.”

As Davis’s star continues to rise, he’s used to dealing with the stresses of being an athlete and celebrity. He attributes his strong resolve to growing up in Baltimore, MD.

“Coming up in the inner city, we know how to adapt to situations,” said Davis. “It’s still new to me to be a somewhat celebrity. It’s my goal to be able to balance out what’s going on. That’s what great people do. They balance out life and whatever situation they’re in.”

Davis will need to channel his energy towards defeating Santa Cruz in front of a live audience at San Antonio’s Alamodome on Halloween night. Santa Cruz believes that he can outbox the younger Davis. If Davis is victorious, then he adds a big name onto his list of conquered opponents and will likely see more pay-per-view opportunities in the future.

You can watch Gervota Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday, Oct. 31, on Showtime pay-per-view. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET.