On Saturday, William Zepeda staked his claim as an elite-level lightweight by battering British fighter Maxi Hughes to defeat at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The bout was called off at the end of round four.
Zepeda takes a two-spot jump in the ratings to No. 3, which sees him usurp Isaac Cruz and WBC champ Shakur Stevenson, who each drop one place.
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Hughes, previously rated No. 7, drops out of the top 12, meaning that every fighter below that position moves up one spot. The new entry at No. 12 is Zaur Abdullaev, who previously fell off through attrition.
While pound-for-pound star Stevenson would be favored to beat Zepeda, he has no resume to speak of at 135 pounds. His only fight at this weight was a listless decision win over Edwin De Los Santos in November.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a tank is a “fighting vehicle carrying guns and moving on a continuous articulated metal track.” It’s an apt ring moniker for Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who has state-of-the-art firepower and a single-minded approach to ring domination.
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The Baltimore-born superstar has claimed a variety of title belts in three divisions, but he’s now regarded as the cream of the crop at lightweight. While his win over Ryan Garcia took place at a catchweight of 136 pounds, it was a signature victory for Tank, who is now firmly established as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world today.
If Davis can lock horns with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney in the future, then his fearsome reputation could reach even greater heights.