Gervonta Davis fought in his first main event Saturday, received $1 million for less than one round of work and saw Drake, Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown while doing his “Thriller” ring walk. “I did what I said I was going to do, and just looking to the future, I’m ready for it,” Davis said after retaining his World Boxing Assn. super-featherweight belt by knocking out Mexico’s Hugo Ruiz with one second remaining in the first round Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. “Tonight, I did great.” Although Ruiz was a late replacement for Los Angeles’ three-division champion Abner Mares, who withdrew two weeks ago after suffering a detached retina, he was no slouch. The former super-bantamweight world champion was dominant himself, winning on the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner pay-per-view undercard on Jan. 19, and posting 18 first-round knockouts on his own resume. Advertisement Yet, Davis (21-0; 20 knockouts) wasn’t moved, admitting he sensed Ruiz (39-5) would be overwhelmed quickly. “I caught him with a left hand, and then I caught him again with no upper punch – I threw the same punch right back,” Davis said. “I knew he was hurt.” The harm increased when Ruiz found himself backed to his own corner, absorbing another punch to the face that broke his nose and a hard right hook to the left ear that dropped him for good. “I always break people’s noses with the uppercut, not the hook,” Davis said. Ruiz admitted afterward he was struck by the heaviness of Davis’ punches, and referee Jack Reiss said he waved the bout off because “I asked, ‘Can you continue?’ [and] he just looked down. He was really hurt.” For those interested in maximizing Davis’ drawing power, particularly his 50-0 former world-champion promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Premier Boxing Champions’ Al Haymon, the showing was sublime. “If any fighter can surpass me, it’s this young man right here, which I truly believe,” Mayweather said after the fight while standing alongside Davis in a frigid hallway. “He’s going to be a household name. He’s going to be a pay-per-view star.” Davis, 24, still is working on things. After missing weight and losing his International Boxing Federation version of the 130-pound belt on the Mayweather-Conor McGregor undercard in August 2017, the Baltimore native fought only once last year, expressing some displeasure with his handlers while tending to the birth of his daughter, now 6 months old. Advertisement Friday, he first stepped on the scale overweight again, but only by two-tenths of a pound, which he trimmed before the final weigh-in deadline. Davis said it remains his goal, after winning in such short order, to advance a scheduled July homecoming date in Baltimore with another title defense. Premier Boxing Champions has a March 16 pay-per-view in Texas, which seems too soon, and another likely by May, the heavyweight-title rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury that would be another important showcase. Mayweather is a proponent of keeping a fighter busy. He fought 10 times himself in 1997 before winning his first belt the following year. “We already talked about” fighting before July, Mayweather revealed. “I want him to stay active. The fighter’s job is to do what he does. He’s not going to call certain fighters’ names out, because … me, myself as a promoter, I tell him it’s not good to call names out. Whoever we put in front of you, go out and do your job. Advertisement “That’s what he has done and that’s what I’m proud of. It’s a lot different [than when I fought] now. We got him that big status a lot faster than I did. He’s on a fast pace.… The main thing is he’s going out there day in and day out doing his job, and we’re proud of him.” IBF super-featherweight champion Tevin Farmer still has two fights remaining on his agreement with the streaming service DAZN before a unification can occur. So PBC will likely find Davis a contender, perhaps a lightweight, to keep him busy. While Andrew Cancio of Blythe, Calif., upset Puerto Rico’s Alberto Machado by knockout Saturday in Indio to win the secondary version of the WBA super-featherweight belt, his promoter, Eric Gomez of Golden Boy, said “[I] haven’t thought about” pointing Cancio toward Davis. Smart move, given Davis’ fulfillment of the potential that first caught Mayweather’s eye more than five years ago. Advertisement “When he first came to see me and Canelo [Alvarez fight in 2013], he was a young kid and wanted me to autograph something for him, and then he came to my gym and the moment I saw him, I told my assistant, ‘Reach out to that kid,’” Mayweather said. “He has a mean streak in him, a dog in him. There’s something about him, so I thought, ‘Let’s take this kid to the next level.’ We were on a yacht in Miami a few years ago, and I told him, ‘Before you know it, you’re going to be a world champion, making millions of dollars, so get ready because it’s going to be on a fast, fast pace,’ and that’s what’s happening.” In the ring before the fight began, Mayweather delivered some final instructions to his protégé who overcame being abandoned by his parents as a youth while surviving the ravage of gun violence around his neighborhood. “I can’t tell you [what was said]. That’s real, real private. Everything ain’t for everybody. It’s boxing lingo, telling him: ‘We don’t worry about what’s said on the outside. You were put here, in a certain predicament, for a reason. Now, go out and do what you do and perform,’” Mayweather said. Advertisement “He’s got to stay on the right path and he has to listen. Out of all the fighters in boxing right now, I’m the only one who knows what it takes to become a household name and make nine figures in one night. So let’s move on ….” Sign up for our daily sports newsletter » lance.pugmire@latimes.com Twitter: @latimespugmire<doc-sep>Last night, Floyd Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis delivered a thunderous, first-round knockout win over short-notice replacement opponent Hugo Ruiz, retaining his WBA super-featherweight belt in the process. According to Mayweather, Davis’ next challenge will pit him against Japanese kickboxing ace Tenshin Nasukawa in April. “We’re talking about May [for Davis’ next fight], if that’s okay with him,” Mayweather stated (via Boxing Scene). “He got an exhibition bout with the guy Tenshin in Japan, in April. He is fighting Tenshin in an exhibition match in Japan, in RIZIN. I’m proud of Tank. He is going to stay active. So first it’s Tenshin in April and then in May it’s the real fight.” Floyd Mayweather, to remind, recently fought Tenshin Nasukawa himself, also in an exhibition bout in the RIZIN ring. Mayweather won the fight with a lopsided first-round knockout. The bout was contested at 147 pounds, far north of the weight Nasukawa typically fights at. It was also the Japanese fighter’s first foray into boxing competition. Because it was an exhibition bout, the Japanese kickboxer is still technically undefeated. At present, RIZIN has not confirmed this claim from Floyd Mayweather, however, Tenshin Nasukawa is expected to compete at the RIZIN 15 card in April. Tenshin Nasukawa is also currently slated to compete in the kickboxing ring on March 10, where he will battle Federico Roma in the first round of the anticipated RISE 58kg tournament. Tenshin Nasukawa (@TeppenTenshin) faces Federico Roma in 1st round of Rise -58kg kickboxing tournament. Starts in March 10th. Others fights: Suakim PK Muay Thai vs Thalisson Gomes Rodtang Jit Muang vs Fred Cordeiro Shiro vs Vladyslav Mykytas pic.twitter.com/VZygqoEeos — Bruno Massami (Бруно Массами) (@BrMassami) January 17, 2019 Do you think Tenshin Nasukawa and Gervonta Davis will actually fight, or is Floyd Mayweather bluffing? This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/9/2019. This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM<doc-sep>FLOYD MAYWEATHER was ringside to cheer his protege Gervonta Davis to victory - but it was his choice of footwear that stole the show. The retired boxer is well-known for his flamboyance - and his red knee-length boots fitted that look spectacularly. 3 Floyd Mayweather was watching his protege Gervonta Davis secure another KO win - but something in particular stood out Credit: Getty 3 Some thought Floyd Mayweather would be better suited to a horseracing venue than a boxing ring Credit: Getty Why Floyd got on these horse trainer boots #shobox — Ifihadnoloot (@D_P_G4Ever) February 10, 2019 Those boots are terrible — Roy Thomas, Jr🇳🇬🇺🇸 (@thom30jr) February 10, 2019 Unsurprisingly, the world of social media revelled in his clobber. One person wrote on Twitter wondered why Mayweather had "go on those horse trainer boots." Reggie Daigle wrote that the 41-year-old "looks like he is going shrimping". Many commented that he "looks like a jockey", with "Kornelios adding that "these boots catch me off guard every time." 3 Gervonta Davis blasted Hugo Ruiz out in a round - he will now head over to fight Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan in April Credit: Getty Mayweather and these horse jockey boots ain't it champ. — Goon (@RayShad27) February 10, 2019 What’s up wit Mayweather’s boots tho!!!! 😳😳👀👀👢👢 #DavisRuiz — El Never (@Eln3ver) February 10, 2019 Roy Thomas wasn't a fan, describing the boots as "terrible". Taylor Brooke asks whether Mayweather is "wearing riding boots". And Tony Snow went with the same line writing that "Mayweather got some equestrian boots on", before labelling him as a "damn fool". It's not the first time "Money" Mayweather has been out and about in the red boots. Most Read In Boxing 'ON AJ' Anthony Joshua warned not to 'mess up' big-money Fury bout by rivals brother Tommy Pictured LOVED UP Tyson and Paris Fury pack on PDA with intimate kiss as pair soak up Miami sun 'EMBARRASSING' Sky Sports announce Mayweather vs Logan Paul will cost £16.95 as fans rage FAKE PAUL Tommy Fury slams Jake Paul and claims Molly-Mae leaked DMs aren't real in rant MONEY SHOT AJ & Canelo are highest-paid boxers... with Jake Paul third after raking in £14m NUR WAY Khabib Nurmagomedov turned down $100M offer to box Floyd Mayweather, says agent Wussup wit Mayweather and them boots? !🤦🏾‍♂️ — Super Facts (@DjFacts_FOE) February 10, 2019 He first showed them off in 2014, flanked by members of his security team It was a good night's work all round with Mayweather watching his top boxer Davis securing a first round KO to retain his world title. After the victory, Mayweather revealed the prodigy will follow in his footsteps and head over to Japan in April. On New Year's Eve the boxing legend needed just 140 seconds to batter Tenshin into submission in an exhibition fight thought to have earned him £7million. It was a mismatch from start to finish, with the Japanese martial artist floored three times before his corner threw in the towel. Now Mayweather is set to fly Davis over to put Tenshin to the sword once again.<doc-sep>In this media scrum caught by Fight Hub TV, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe answers questions about Gervonta Davis’ most recent performance and calls for Davis to take on Vasyl Lomachenko. Check out some excerpts below... Ellerbe on if he thinks he’ll have Davis fighting again before July: “Oh, most definitely. Yeah. Why not?” On what’s the next step for Davis in terms of branding: “We got some special stuff we working on. Again, we know what we’re doing. You know, I think we been down this round or two before. We’ve seen a guy that has made over a billion dollars — we know what we’re doing. And Tank — he’s gonna be the guy!...He’s a little guy who packs a big punch.” On how big a fight between Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko could be a year from now: “I don’t know, it could be — Gervonta Davis with anybody, it’s gonna be a big fight because he has that star power. He is the guy. He’s the guy that all these guys are gonna be gunning at. The same way Floyd was to make [money], Gervonta Davis is gonna be that guy.” On fans calling for Davis to face Lomachenko: “They’re gonna call for anybody. There’s no focus on one particular guy. And I’m not concerned about that guy because I’m very confident that Gervonta beats him. Very, very, very confident. And when and if that fight happens, you’ll see the same kind of result [a dominant knockout]. Trust me. Same kind of result.” On if he thinks Top Rank would want that fight for Lomachenko: “I don’t know, they have a very good promotional company with some very good fighters — that’s all I got to say about that.” On if he’s willing to make a Davis-Lomachenko fight right now: “I’m down to make anything that makes sense. And we’re gonna do things on our timetable and the way we want to do them. And nobody’s gonna tell us to do anything different. “Gervonta Davis is gonna make dollars fighting anybody.” On who would need to reach out first to make a Davis-Lomachenko fight: “I’m not thinking about none of that stuff...we’re gonna put our heads together, the guy just came off a tremendous performance, we had an outstanding turnout, it was a star-studded affair. You know, we just gonna go back and enjoy this and see what the next step is.”<doc-sep>
Junior lightweight world titleholder Gervonta "Tank" Davis could be back in the ring as soon as April -- but not for an official fight. Instead, Davis could follow the lead of his promoter, Floyd Mayweather, and go to Japan for a boxing exhibition against Japanese kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa, whom Mayweather destroyed in the first round of their scheduled three-round New Year's Eve boxing exhibition at the Saitama Prefecture Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, about a half-hour drive outside of Tokyo. Davis retained his 130-pound world title for the first time via first-round knockout of former junior featherweight world titlist Hugo Ruiz, a late replacement for the injured Abner Mares, on Saturday night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. During a scrum with reporters after the fight, Mayweather, with Davis at his side, said that the 24-year-old Baltimore fighter would head to Japan to face Nasukawa in a boxing exhibition this spring. "We got an exhibition bout with the guy Tenshin in Japan in April," Mayweather said. Surprised media members asked Mayweather for a clarification and he responded, "Yes, he's fighting Tenshin in an exhibition bout in Japan." Mayweather did not offer any other details, such as the specific location, date, number of rounds, or contract weight, but he said the exhibition would be put on in conjunction with the Rizin Fighting Federation, the same Japanese combat sports promoter that put on his Dec. 31 match with Nasukawa. "I'm proud of Tank, and he's gonna stay active," Mayweather said. "April is Tenshin. May is the real fight." Mayweather Promotions has plans to bring Davis home to Baltimore for a summer title defense, but Mayweather did not mention where specifically the May fight would take place or against whom. "We don't know," he said when asked who Davis would fight in his second defense. "When I get back, I'll talk to my staff, my team, sit down with [Mayweather Promotions CEO] Leonard [Ellerbe], [adviser] Al [Haymon], the rest of my staff and see what we come up with." Davis (21-0, 20 KOs) did not say anything about the exhibition with Nasukawa, who at least is closer in size to Davis than he is to Mayweather. To fight Mayweather, Nasukawa moved up from is natural 126-pound featherweight division to the 147-pound welterweight division. Davis fights at 130 pounds. Mayweather came out of a two-year retirement to face UFC star Conor McGregor in a boxing match in August 2017 and knocked him out in the 10th round in the second-highest grossing fight in history. Then Mayweather, 41, returned 16 months later for the exhibition with the 20-year-old Nasukawa, who had no experience as a boxer despite his success as a kickboxer. Mayweather needed only a little over two minutes to lay waste to Nasukawa, who suffered three knockdowns and left the ring in tears after the fight. Mayweather said that he earned $9 million -- plus a $1 million bonus -- for the exhibition with Nasukawa and said he would likely participate in future exhibition fights. "Probably so, most likely," Mayweather said. "I got about $80 million on the table worth of exhibitions."