Davis vs. Walsh results and video: Gervonta Davis smashes Liam Walsh in round 3

In the first fight of Showtime’s quadrupleheader lineup, IBF junior lightweight champion Gervonta Davis took on mandatory challenger Liam Walsh at the Copper Box Arena in London, England. This was Davis’ first defense of his belt, with his mentor and promoter Floyd Mayweather at ringside. Davis was the favorite to retain his title, and “Tank” delivered another finish.

The Copper Box Arena was packed and eager to cheer on their countryman in this battle of southpaw counterpunchers. Davis drew first blood with a sweeping left hand, which caught Walsh but it wasn’t completely flush. Walsh was trying to keep the champ at bay with his jab, while Davis fired off his own jabs. Walsh finished the opening round with a right hook and a jab to the body. There wasn’t much in the way of real cutting-edge excitement in round two, but Davis was scoring with cleaner power punches.

With very little action in the opening six minutes, the Baltimore native turned up the heat. The fearsome left hand of Davis on the temple had Walsh in considerable trouble. Walsh was trying to hold for dear life and stem the tide, but Davis fought his way out of the attempted clinch. He swarmed Walsh and put him down with a brutal combination, capped off by a right uppercut and a heavy left with just over a minute left. Liam beat the count but was unquestionably still in trouble and on wobbly legs. Davis went in for the stoppage, bashed Walsh with left over the top bashed against the right ear, and Michael Alexander stopped the fight, much to the protestations of Liam, his promoter Frank Warren, and the partisan crowd.

Official result: Gervonta Davis (18-0, 17 KOs) def. Liam Walsh (21-1, 14 KOs) by TKO at 2:11 of round 3 to remain the IBF junior lightweight champion

Floyd Mayweather has called Davis “the future of boxing,” and he continues to impress in the ring.

Watch the finish in the video below.