When news hit that Gervonta Davis' fight against Abner Mares was canceled and Davis would instead fight Hugo Ruiz, one thing Davis would have to account for is the change in his opponent's size.
Instead of facing Mares, Davis will have to adjust his gameplan when he faces Ruiz who is around five inches taller. However, Davis may not have to change much in his final preparations, according to his trainer Calvin Ford.
Ford spoke to Fightful in a recent media call and said he and Davis had stuck mainly to the same training regimen even after the change in opponent was announced. Ford added that he prepared Davis for any and all styles that may come his way, so even facing a much taller opponent won't affect the WBA 130-pound champion.
"No, we’ve been sticking to the same routine. We didn’t change anything. Actually Gervonta has various different sparring partners in there because I’m still a student of the game too and I always say you never know when a fighter is going to change their stuff. If you look at when Gennady Golovkin fought Danny Jacobs, he went southpaw. So you have to prepare yourself for anything that’s going to happen that night. So we look at different looks and just like you prepare for anything else. Most coaches and trainers want to prepare for any situation that’s going to come so you’ll be prepared for it," Ford said.
You can listen to Ford talking to Fightful in the video above. Davis vs. Ruiz will headline a Showtime Championship Boxing telecast from the Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California on February 9. Other fights announced for the telecast are Sharif Bogere vs. Javier Fortuna and Mario Barrios vs. Richard Zamora.
