GRADES: GERVONTA DAVIS, RYAN GARCIA, JOE CORDINA, SHAVKAT RAKHIMOV, DAVID MORRELL & MORE

By: Jay Calderon

Well, we had one helluva weekend of fights, that's for sure.

Here in the States, we had the mega-fight that saw Gervonta Davis stop the previously-undefeated Ryan Garcia, with a packed undercard as well. On the other side of the pond, we had Joe Cordina snatching away the gold of Shavkat Rakhimov in a Fight of the Year candidate.

So, without much more ado, let's hand out these Grades.

GERVONTA DAVIS: A
RESULT: DEF. RYAN GARCIA, 7KO (136 CATCHWEIGHT)

Stopping the biggest name you've faced in the biggest fight of your career isn't going to get you a low mark very often. Certainly not in this case.

Gervonta Davis put in a superstar performance against Ryan Garcia, knocking him down and stopping him in the seventh frame.

While Garcia put some shots together here and there, it was effectively a perfect performance from Davis, who remains undefeated and one of the biggest names in the sport.

RYAN GARCIA: C-
RESULT: LOSS TO GERVONTA DAVIS, 7KO (136 CATCHWEIGHT)

You don't want to be too harsh to a young fighter that chases the big fight and ends up falling short. However, it's hard to find all that much good with the performance of Ryan Garcia.

He wasn't completely outclassed, it's just that Garcia was a tick behind in terms of tactics, in implementing those tactics and ultimately digging deep when it was needed.

Yes, body shots are hell. But when you rise literally less than a second after the ten count, you made a decision not to continue.

If he had gone out on his shield in a war or hopelessly behind on the cards, it would be a different story. But this is going to take something of a rebuild going forward.

DAVID MORRELL: A-
RESULT: DEF. YAMAGUCHI FALCAO, 1KO (SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT)

David Morrell has put in some very special performances thus far in his career. While it's not unusual for promising fighters to dominate early opponents, it's a bit different in the case of the u beaten Morrell.

Yamaguchi Falcao, like many of the other guys Morrell has faced thus far, are more experienced pros than the average upcoming prospect would have fought. And thus far, Morrell is making it look rather easy.

At this point, Morrell looks like he's too good for anyone in the bottom half of the top ten at Super Middleweight. The question is whether or not his abilities translate with that top half.

BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV: B
RESULT: DEF. GABE ROSADO, 10UD (SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT)

By his own admission, Bektemir Melikuziev underestimated Gabe Rosado in their first encounter back in June of 2021 -- which turned out to be his first and, thus far, only loss as a professional.

In the rematch on the Davis-Garcia undercard, Melikuziev put in a much more measured performance and corrected the mistakes made previously, earning a comfortable decision in the process.

Was it an entertaining contest? No. Imagine hearing boos during a Rosado fight. But it was the sort of get-right performance Melikuziev needed as he continues his career.

GABE ROSADO: D
RESULT: LOSS TO BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV, 10UD (SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT)

Gabe Rosado asked questions of Bektemir Melikuziev in their first fight (questions for which Melikuziev didn't have answers at the time). After their return, Rosado has to have some questions for himself.

In a punishing career where you haven't managed to win even 60% of the time, you have to wonder what fighting on really means.

Yes, you might be able to squeeze a few more dollars out of some up-and-coming prospects looking to knock off a decent name. But at what cost? You're 37, and typically fighting at a higher weight than best suits you. In truth you've always been a limited fighter, now you're a faded limited fighter.

It might be time to step away.

JOE CORDINA: A-
RESULT: DEF. SHAVKAT RAKHIMOV, 12SD (JR. LIGHTWEIGHT)

In his first title-winning performance, Joe Cordina needed effectively one shot to end the reign of Kenichi Ogawa and begin his own. To begin his second regin, Cordina was asked to produce just a bit more.

In a legitimate Fight of the Year contender in Wales, Cordina dropped now former titlist Shavkat Rakhimov, walked through fire, and ultimately secured a split decision win.

At times he was sharp, effective with combinations and movement. At other times, he dug in and fought just a bit too much. Still, in all, it was the performance he needed to truly announce his arrival on the world stage.
 

SHAVKAT RAKHIMOV: B
RESULT: LOSS TO JOE CORDINA, 12SD (JR. LIGHTWEIGHT)

It feels harsh marking Shavkat Rakhimov lower than an A when he put forth such an effort. However, boxing is a cruel sport with many gray opinions, but black and white results (usually, anyway).

Rakhimov showed courage fighting his way back into a fight that saw him touch the floor. He showed under-appreciated skills on the inside, and an engine second to few in the sport.

Still, while he kept it close, he fell short on the night. That said, he's made some new fans and will likely been in a couple decent fights in the future.

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