Super-quick WBA junior lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis will make a much-anticipated hometown title defense against big-punching mandatory challenger Ricardo Nunez at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday.

While all the attention will be on the defending titleholder and burgeoning star, Nunez (21-2, 19 knockouts) is focused on springing one of the upsets of the year.

“It’s the opportunity that I have been waiting a long time for,” Nunez (21-2, 19 knockouts) told The Ring through his promoter Rogelio Espino of Promociones Y Eventos del Istmo.

“I do not have any fear of Gervonta Davis. I respect him, but I’m doing the best training camp of my career because the fight is in his hometown and I do not want the judges to have to work. [Davis] is a boxer of good speed and power but that does not scare me. I hope we make a great fight and that there is no excuse after I beat him.”

Nunez, 25, has won his last 10 fights, nine inside the distance, but this is a marked leap in competition. The challenger is going into the lion’s den with very little expected of him.

“Definitely, the favorite is the champion,” said Nunez. “The protege of the promotion and the acquaintance [of Floyd Mayweather Jr.], but after July 27 the world will know who Ricardo Nunez is.”

Davis turned professional in 2013 after a standout amateur career. Since then the 24-year-old southpaw has lived up to his nickname “Tank”, stopping all but one of his opponents to date. Davis (21-0, 20 KOs) won the IBF 130-pound strap in 2017 with a highly-impressive stoppage over Jose Pedraza. However, he missed weight and forfeited the title later in the year. He has since won the WBA title and made one defense.

Espino, who also has former WBA 130-pound titleholder Jezreel Corrales on the undercard, hopes his fighter will cause a sensation.

“Davis is a solid champion and it won’t be an easy fight for Nunez,” said Espino. “For that reason he has been working very, very hard to be prepared for this fight.

“Nunez is a very responsible boxer. He knows what he wants and he is devoted to his family. He always trains very hard for all his fights, but this time he is working even harder. All his team is supporting him and betting on his triumph on July 27th.”

The bout will be televised on Showtime with the card beginning at 9.00 p.m. PT.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected] and you can follow him on Twitter @AnsonWainwright

READ THE MARCH ISSUE OF THE RING FOR FREE VIA THE NEW APP NOW. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO ACCESS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF BACK ISSUES.