Fans should have been watching Gervonta “Tank” Davis all along.
When he finished off Jose Pedraza in the 7th round of their title fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to claim the IBF World Super Feather Title in 2017, fans should have paid attention.
When he destroyed Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar a year later back in Brooklyn to win the WBA Super Featherweight title, seemingly inflicting punishment on Cuellar for having his IBF title belt stripped after failing to make weight in his fight against Francisco Fonseca, fans should have paid attention.
And when he put Leo Santa Cruz into hibernation, fans should have paid attention.
We’re not talking about boxing fans.
No, we’re referring to all sports fans because in Tank Davis we’re witnessing the ascension of a boxing star.
I attended Davis’ fight against Cuellar and the fan support he received took me off guard. I had no idea how much love they had for Davis and how many were willing to travel up from Baltimore to support him.
But NYers always recognize and appreciate real game, and Tank has plenty of it.
This Sunday, fans will have the opportunity to see Gervonta Davis in action again when he takes on Isaac Cruz in a PPV bout for Davis’ WBA World Lightweight title.
It promises to be a hard-hitting affair, which suits Tank just fine.
“This is going to be a big event and an exciting fight,” said Davis at Thursday’s press conference. “We’re fighters who like to come forward, and when you get these types of styles, we’re going to crash into each other.”
And crashing into each other is what fits Davis best, except he’s always the one leaving the ring unscathed while his opponents are left reeling from another KO.
The pride of Baltimore is 25-0 with a ridiculous 24 KOs. He’s got power and he wields it with deadly precision. The aforementioned Santa Cruz can attest to this fact after he was obliterated right out of the ring by a devastating left uppercut with 21 seconds left in the 6th round of their October 2020 fight.
Santa Cruz is no slouch yet he was overwhelmed by the power Davis packs and unleashes in every fight.
That talent was recognized by Floyd Mayweather years ago, and he has mentored the young fighter both directly and from a distance ever since.
But regardless of the distance, Mayweather knows the type of fighter Davis is and he’s grooming the 27-year-old fighter so that he understands how to carry his stardom both inside and outside of the ring.
“’Tank has unbelievable boxing skills and the will to win,” said Mayweather.
“‘Tank’s trainers have got him covered all across the board. They went out there and did what they had to do throughout training camp and ‘Tank’ is going to be ready come Sunday,’ added Floyd.
Since stepping into the ring as a pro in 2013, Davis has done nothing but snatch the hearts and souls of his competitors. He’s KOed every opponent except for German Ivan Meraz, who he beat by unanimous decision in 2014.
If Davis wins this fight, he can turn his attention to the big fight with George Kambosos Jr., who beat Teofimo Lopez last week to win the IBF, WBA Super World and WBO World lightweight titles.
Hopefully boxing cooperates and gives fans that fight in 2022. Not only would it unify the belts, but it would also give Davis the biggest fight of his career and the opportunity to solidify his star status.
This Sunday, which breaks from the normal Saturday night fight event, Davis has another opportunity to show the world just how good he is again.
Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up and see it too.
You can watch Davis vs. Cruz this Sunday, December 5th, live from the Staples Center in LA, at 8pm EST on Showtime PPV.
