Mario Barrios vs Gervonta Davis Boxing Picks, Odds, Predictions 6/26/21

Gervonta Davis and Mario Barrios fight Saturday in a boxing match at State Farm Arena for the WBA (Regular) super lightweight title. Davis enters this fight with a 24-0 record that includes 23 knockouts. Barrios enters this fight with a 26-0 record that includes 17 knockouts.

This will be Davis’ fifth fight since 2019, and he’s coming off an October win over Léo Santa Cruz. Davis is coming off his most comPetitive fight of his career, as it was back and forth and tight on the scorecards until the knockout in the sixth round. Many consider it the knockout of the year in 2020 and it’s certainly Davis’ biggest moment of his career yet.

Tank is a 26-year-old southpaw who stands at 5’5” with a 67-inch reach. Davis is an extremely heavy handed boxer with a pressure style that is devastating once he gets comfortable. With finishes in each of his last 15 fights, it’s quite clear what to expect. Davis is an aggressive boxer from Baltimore who mixes in combinations well and has fast hands for a bigger guy. 

Davis is also quite underrated with his defense, as he has solid footwork and terrific head movement that allows him to get in and out rather quickly. Davis is at his best when Boxing on the inside and usually looks to close off the ring. This will be Davis’ second career fight in Georgia.

This will be Barrios’ fifth fight since 2019, and he’s coming off an October win over Ryan Karl. Barrios is also coming off a comPetitive bout that was stopped in the sixth round. While Barrios deserves credit for the win, Karl was at a disadvantage once he suffered a nasty cut due to a headbutt. 

El Azteca finally gets his chance on the big stage, as Batyr Akhmedov is probably the most notable fighter he’s faced. Barrios is 26 years old, stands at 5’10”, has a 71-inch reach and an orthodox stance.

Barrios is a lengthy fighter who is light on his feet and has very quick hands. He puts his combinations together nicely and has some impressive punching power for somebody with a wiry frame. Barrios has stopped nine of his last 10 opponents and has a mean right hand. 

Barrios will fight Mexican style at times and take unnecessary  punishment, but for the most part, his offense overwhelms fighters and is fun to watch. This will be Barrios’ first career fight in Georgia.

There’s a path for Barrios to win this fight, as he has a massive height and reach advantage, and he could dictate the entire fight if he stays on the outside. The concern is Barrios getting too aggressive, coming inside and getting caught with something. Barrios also has the power to scare Davis, which is something we haven’t seen in much of his past opponents. This line is showing Barrios respect.

With all that said, it only takes one mistake for Davis to end this fight. You’re asking a lot from Barrios to be perfect for 12 rounds, and this is a massive increase in comPetition. 

I’ll side with Davis here, but the fight should be comPetitive.