Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis envisions perhaps an even more explosive night than would have been the case from his originally scheduled opponent.

The unbeaten rising star eagerly awaits his upcoming showdown with Mexico City’s Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (22-1-1, 15KOs), which headlines a Showtime Pay-Per-View event set for December 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Cruz replaces Las Vegas’ Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero (14-0, 12KOs), who was pulled from the event after being named in an active police investigation accusing the undefeated lightweight of alleged sexual assault.

A fight with Romero represented a welcomed grudge match for Baltimore’s Davis (25-0, 24KOs), whereas a fight with Cruz is viewed by the boxing public as a formidable challenge. That assessment works for the reigning secondary WBA lightweight and junior welterweight title, who welcomes the challenge.

“It’s going to be more of an interesting fight. He comes forward, I come forward,” Davis notes during a recent virtual press conference to discuss the event. “You have two cars coming forward, they gonna crash. That’s the only way I can put it.

That might be the only aspect where both fighters agree.

“The ones who will truly win on [December] 5th are the fans,” insists Cruz, who is 17-0-1 since suffering his lone career defeat in his sixth pro fight. “Pitbull and Tank are going to crash into each other. It’s going to be fireworks and people are going to be on the edge of their seats.”

Davis has long ago earned the reputation as must-see TV whenever he fights.

The former three-time junior lightweight titlist has stopped his last sixteen opponents, having traveled three separate weight divisions in each of last three fights. Davis stopped Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 12th round of his December 2019 headliner at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, claiming the WBA “World” lightweight title at stake in this fight. A move back down to junior lightweight came with his next fight, a sensational sixth-round knockout of four-division titlist Leo Santa Cruz last Halloween in San Antonio, followed by an 11th round stoppage of unbeaten Mario Barrios to win the WBA “World” junior welterweight title this past June, also at State Farm Arena.

Davis returns to lightweight, where he faces a hungry fighter on a hot streak.

“It’s going to be an exciting night for the sport of boxing,” insists Davis. “May the best win. He’s going to come with his A-game, I’m going to come with my A-game. Give the fans what they want to see.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox