Davis to face Walsh in London on May 20

Baltimore native to try to defend super-featherweight title he won in January

From left to right, Leonard Ellerbe, Gervonta Davis, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Liam Walsh and Frank Warren pose for photos during a news conference announcing Davis’ next fight. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images )

You can’t accuse Baltimore’s Gervonta Davis and his promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jr., of avoiding risk.

Instead of fighting close to home in his first defense of the International Boxing Federation super-featherweight title he won in January, Davis will travel to London to take on undefeated British challenger Liam Walsh. Mayweather and British promoter Frank Warren made the May 20 fight official at a news conference Tuesday in London.

“It says a lot about the faith they have in Gervonta to come to Liam’s backyard,” Warren said.

Said Davis: “Hopefully he’ll be ready, because I will be.”

Davis (17-0, 16 knockouts) and Walsh (21-0, 14 knockouts) will fight in London’s Copper Box Arena, which seats 7,500. A U.S. broadcast has yet to be announced.

Davis, 22, won his title by stopping favored champion Jose Pedraza in the seventh round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The performance stamped him as a rising star with an aggressive, fan-friendly style.

At the news conference Tuesday, Mayweather said he’s urged Davis to continue producing entertaining fights in addition to victories. “Gervonta is not just the youngest world champion in boxing, he’s one of the most exciting fighters in boxing,” Mayweather said.

Walsh, a southpaw like Davis, promised to deliver a show.

“There’s one thing for certain, this is a proper fight, what boxing fans want to see,” he said.

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