After the fight: Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez lead boxing’s youth movement

Boxers under 30, like Gervonta Davis, are making their presence felt and are starting to take over the sport from their older counterparts. 

Gervonta Davis took Leo Santa Cruz apart with one punch in round 6 and announced his dominance to the world. The manner of his victory makes a case for him being one of the most gifted boxers in the sport, but it’s symbolic of something larger.

There’s a wave of young, talented boxers who are starting a takeover that’s engulfing veterans and might start ushering them out of the sport. At 25 years old, Davis isn’t the youngest of the dominant crop of fighters, but he’s one of the most skilled. The scary part is that there’s a swarm of pugilists under 30 that have the potential to become boxing greats.

At 32 years old, there’s plenty of fight left in Santa Cruz. He was a 4-1 underdog headed into his matchup with the heavier and harder punching Davis, but most didn’t expect his night to be ended in the devastating fashion that followed after Davis’s destructive left uppercut. Still, it’s another veteran fighter taken out by a younger upstart in a two-week span.

Teofimo Lopez was the underdog on Oct. 17 against Vasiliy Lomachenko, but at just 23 years old, Lopez was able to outbox the 32-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, which was a historic accomplishment.

The lightweight division is teeming with youthful boxers that are on the brink of superstardom. We’ve already covered Lopez and Davis, who are guaranteed sellouts after their latest performances.

Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez are two of the best boxers in the world, but there are many more budding stars on the horizon

Devin Haney is only 21 and holds a WBC belt, and has yet to show his full complement of skills. Ryan Garcia is more than just a social media star. On Dec. 5, the 22-year-old Golden Boy prospect takes on former Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell for an interim WBC title and has his chance to shine.

On the undercard of Davis vs. Santa Cruz, Isaac Cruz, 22, pummeled veteran title contender Diego Magdaleno into the canvas inside one round in an IBF lightweight title eliminator. He’s not widely known but looked electric against a solid fighter in Magdaleno.

It’s not just the lightweight division that’s filled to the brim with a new crop of emerging prospects. Some divisions have already been infiltrated by late millennials and early members of Gen Z.

Caleb Plant, 28, is the IBF super middleweight champion and his nemesis and former WBC champion David Benavidez is only 23. Don’t forget about knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga, who is 23 and stopped all of his 15 opponents in round 1. He might have the biggest upside in the division, but it’s too soon to tell.

Fighters under 30 are consuming the elder statesmen of the sport at a rising rate. Boxing is proving to be a youthful man’s game, and they are winning titles earlier and younger than ever.

Canelo Alvarez is 30 years old and is widely considered the best pound for pound boxer globally, but if he sticks to the super middleweight division, one of the previously named boxers with fewer years could have his number if he isn’t careful.

Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. rule the welterweight division, but it’s only a matter of time before a fresh-faced fighter like Jaron Ennis or Vergil Ortiz Jr. is nipping at their heels.

If you’re a premier boxer over the age of 30, you aren’t old, but you aren’t a green fighter, and there’s probably a young gunslinger who is a year or two away from giving you a run for your money. In some cases, they’re already here and establishing the foundations of their legacies before their mid-20s. There’s more coming, and they’re here to stay.