If you’ve watched Gervonta “Tank” Davis, you’ll understand that Saturday night’s 8th-round KO victory over Frank “The Ghost” Martin was both calculated and predictable.
That’s no shot at Martin, who held his own for the first few rounds. Instead, it’s an acknowledgment of Tank’s continued greatness and how he wins.
We’ve covered Tank for many years and discussed his rise in popularity numerous times.
His obliteration of Jose Pedraza in 2017 to claim the IBF World Super Feather Title in front of a packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the first time I witnessed his popularity in person. A year later back in Brooklyn, Tank fans came out once again to see him destroy Jesus Marcelo Andres Cuellar a year later for the WBA Super Featherweight title. Then there was the devastation of Leo Santa Cruz in Texas in 2020.
There were other fights between those bouts, and they all ended the same way.
But for me, those three fights demonstrated not only his greatness but his ability to be a star in a sport that had great fighters but no one to take the throne vacated by Floyd Mayweather.
Even more impressively, Tank did it in front of large crowds, particularly in sports finicky New York, which unabashedly showed its love for the Baltimore-based fighter.
Despite the impressive wins and growing following, some still doubted the young fighter.
So he went back to Brooklyn in 2022 and knocked out Rolando Romero with a vicious left hook that caused a massive eruption on Atlantic Ave.
But some still doubted his ability to be a star.
So he traveled to Las Vegas for a star-studded event against Ryan Garcia in 2023. There, he left no doubt about his power, skill or stardom, knocking out Garcia in the seventh round with a vicious short left hook to the body that left Garcia in immense pain and on one knee as the referee reached ten.
That fight, according to Sports Business Journal, raked in $22.8 million at the gate and amassed more than 1.2 million PPV units.
Those are numbers boxing hadn’t seen in years.
You have to wonder why some still deny Tank his rightful place in boxing. In a story we wrote in April 2023, we addressed that issue.
Is it because he has a rugged appearance and tattoos emblazoned across almost every part of his body? It is because of his hair and tough Baltimore exterior?
The answer is most likely yes.
Tank doesn’t have the model-like looks of Ryan Garcia or the pedigree of Leo Santa Cruz. But like Mike Tyson, another fighter with similar characteristics, Gervonta Davis has a certain charm that endears him to so many from different walks of life. If you watch his post-fight interviews, oftentimes he flashes a disarming smile that draws fans in.
Tank has risen to become akin to Allen Iverson in that they share similar physical features, social upbringing and position in their respective sports.
And they both share the same type of bond with fans who love them for who they are, which is something they don’t compromise or mask.
Tank now has an unblemished 30-0 record, which consists of 28 KOs.
His power is unquestionable, but what many don’t give him enough credit for is being a smart fighter who knows patience, when to strike, and when to go in for the KO.
Many fighters, like Deontay Wilder, sacrifice their boxing skills in favor of the crowd-loving KO punch.
But Tank is a hunter who stalks his prey and waits for the right time to unleash. When he does, it’s lights out for his unfortunate opponent.
That happened again on Saturday night when he followed a left uppercut that stunned Martin with a haymaker of a left cross that ended Martin’s night.
“I was finding my range. [Martin] had a decent jab and was moving a lot and I just had to break him down as the fight went on,” said Tank.
At this point, there’s no doubt that Gervonta “Tank” Davis is the star of boxing, and he gave fight fans another KO to prove it.
So if you still question his position in the sport, you’re just a hater.
