Frank Martin: 'I Feel Like Boxing Gave Me Maturity'

LAS VEGAS – June 11, 2023 – Emerging boxing sensation Frank “The Ghost” Martin joined the crew of “The Pivot Podcast” as he previewed his highly anticipated fight against undefeated three-division world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis on Saturday, June 15 on Amazon Prime PPV. The episode premieres today at 12 p.m. ET on their YouTube Channel, with audio also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Martin sat down with co-hosts Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor amidst training camp to talk preparation with “Trainer of the Year” Derek James, trade favorite underdog stories, and discuss the significance of this win for his career.

In this “David and Goliath” showdown the stakes are amplified. When asked about the significance of defeating Tank Davis, Martin’s answer is simple.

“It’s everything to me… going out here and capitalizing off this opportunity feels like everything I worked for. It’s not like I’m going to beat a champion. I’m going to beat a champion who is one of the faces of boxing that the whole world knows, this is big that I’m able to take all of that.”

Clark continues to uncover Martin’s mindset leading up to June 15th. He aims to understand the journey of an inexperienced 18-year-old finding himself headlining a PPV event, and how boxing has influenced his personal life.

“I make sure I don’t cut any corners so when I get into the ring there is nothing that’s on my mind that I feel I didn’t do correctly. I feel like boxing gave me maturity. I hold myself accountable.”

The pre-fight press conference, which took place last month in Las Vegas, was intense as insults flew back and forth between camps. Crowder asks how much of it was real anger, how much was manufactured for the cameras, and the overall backstage tactics of selling fights.

“If I’m fighting somebody like a Tank who talks crazy, they’re going to bring out a different side of me. Then people are going to be able to see that I’m different.”

Clark also asks the undefeated boxer to share what really happened four years ago when “The Ghost” and “Tank” got into the ring for a sparring session years ago at Mayweather Boxing Gym. Martin takes the guys through that day and the rounds he and Davis exchanged until the situation escalated, prompting Floyd Mayweather himself to intervene.

“After the punch that I hurt him with, it was just tough, intense sparring after that. The fourth round they ended up having to break us up and get us out the ring… Floyd, the ref, they all hop in the ring so by the time I was going to slam him on the ground they broke us up.”

Martin has a close relationship with arguably the “GOAT” of boxing, Floyd Mayweather. Throughout his career, he has given him advice on how to outbeat his opponent, even one as formidable as Davis.

“Go run at two in the morning, because 9 out of 10 times you know your opponent is asleep at that time… It can be little things that take you to the next level. If a person like Floyd tells you that, you’re going to take a lot of heave to it and it’s going to give you a different type of motivation.”

To Martin, his flawless work in the ring since this session, coupled with the respect his name carries, are just small parts of why he’s confident he will win Saturday night.

“[June 15th] is motivation for the underdogs”.

The name “Tank Davis” holds status in the boxing world. Only one year ago, he was dubbed the name “the Face of Boxing” by ESPN. With that pressure in mind, Clark simply asks,“How do you beat Gervonta Davis?” The question may be simple, but the road to victory is not an easy ride. Without hesitation, Martin looks Clark in the eyes and says:

“I can match that speed, I can match that athleticism.. he’s about to pay for every little mistake he makes… he makes a lot of mistakes, so there’s going to be a lot he won’t be able to get away with. I’m going to capitalize off the game plan me and Derrick got, we got a good one.”