BOXING
Who is Gervonta Davis?
‘Tank’ is one of the best lightweight fighters in the world and he’s among the top pound-for-pound fighters, but what were his early days like in boxing?
Gervonta Davis has garnered immense fame, recognition, and wealth thanks to his remarkable boxing skills and devastating power, making him one of the most notable fighters in the sport. However, his upcoming bout this Saturday poses a very significant challenge. Inactive since systematically taking Ryan Garcia apart in April last year, Tank has to shake off the ring rust in short order.
With a flawless record of 29 victories in 29 fights, out of which 27 were via knockout, Tank has earned immense respect as a boxer. He has also held titles in various world championships across three different weight divisions, further cementing his status as a formidable force in the sport.
Gervonta Davis’ early career
Gervonta Davis’ childhood was marked by difficulty, as he was exposed to drugs and violence in his Baltimore neighborhood. Despite his tough upbringing, Davis found solace and purpose in boxing, a sport he had been practicing since he was five.
With his father in prison and his mother struggling with drug addiction, Gervonta, and his brothers were placed in protective custody. These challenging experiences helped shape Davis into a stronger and more resilient individual, and he found an escape from his troubles through his love of boxing.
Davis’ dedication and hard work paid off, and he enjoyed a successful amateur career with a record of 206-15. Among his many accomplishments, he won the 2012 National Golden Gloves Championship, three consecutive National Silver Gloves Championships, and two National Junior Olympics gold medals.
“If it wasn’t for the gym, I would’ve been out in the neighborhood running wild. But most of the time, I was out of town at tournaments because I was winning so much”, said Davis when returning to those times.
Professional success
Davis gained recognition during his amateur career, which allowed him to escape the dangers of Baltimore’s streets. He turned professional at 18 instead of waiting for the 2016 Olympics, which was still three years away.
Davis caught the eye of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s promotion company during a sparring session and was signed by them, which was a significant boost for the young boxer. Under the Mayweather umbrella, Davis’ skills and potential were quickly recognized.
Although Davis’ talent was clear, his first noteworthy tests as a professional came in 2019 and 2020 when he faced Yuriorkis Gamboa and Leo Santa Cruz, respectively. Despite the high level of opposition, Davis maintained his unbeaten record with victories via stoppage.
Due to his dominance in the lower-weight classes, he challenged himself against more prominent fighters like Mario Barrios and Rolly Romero. Still, the size of his rivals wasn’t something that would prevent him from keep winning fights.
Davis, who held the IBF super featherweight title in 2017; the WBA (Super) super featherweight ti
tle twice between 2018 and 2021; and the WBA (Regular) super lightweight title in 2021, will now defend his WBA (Regular) lightweight title against Frank Martin, who has a record of 18-0 (12 KOs).