Gervonta Davis is back with another dominant win (Photo: Dave Mandel – SHOWTIME)

By Chris Robinson

On Saturday night, WBA junior lightweight champion Gervonta Davis defended his title with a dominant first-round TKO of former world champion Hugo Ruiz before a sellout crowd of 8,048 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. The one-sided contest aired on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing, as Davis raised his mark to 21-0 (20 KO’s) while Ruiz fell to 39-5 (32 KO’s).

With his promoter Floyd Mayweather watching from ringside, Davis made quick work of his late-replacement opponent.

“I knew it was coming,” Davis said. “I wanted to go more rounds, but I knew if I got him out of there early I could fight again sooner. When I touched the jab I saw his arm was in front of his face so if I threw a hook or uppercut it was right in line.”

Ruiz, who filled in for an injured Abner Mares, previously held the interim WBA bantamweight title as well as the WBC junior featherweight title, but he was clearly outsized and outclassed in this contest.

“As soon as he started landing punches, I could feel them,” Ruiz said. “I have a lot of first round knock outs, today was my turn to lose in the first round. It happens in boxing.”

Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com