Sunday Convo: Gervonta Davis Continues To Be A Pop-Culture Hit

I know this comparison has been made plenty of times in years past, but the rise of Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) is eerie similar to that of hall of famer “Iron” Mike Tyson. Just as Tyson was in the 80s and even now, long past his pro-fighting years, Davis is a pop-culture hit, and he hasn’t even scraped the surface regarding how far he can take it. If you don’t want to believe that, ask the 13,249 in attendance with ringside filled with fighters, athletes, actors, an NFL owner, and pop-culture influencers. Davis may not be at the level of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, but he isn’t that far off when it comes to public appeal.

To set the tone for what would be a viral knockout, Davis played the theme song of the movie Ghostbustersbefore having someone perform a song during his ringwalk. It was a shot toward Frank Martin, who goes by “The Ghost,” and added to the anticipation even more. Davis stepped into the ring, and his game face immediately replaced the playful one he had shown during his ringwalk.

Everyone knows that Davis is a notoriously slow starter, and on Saturday night, it was no different. The first three rounds were all Martin as he used great footwork, a consistent right jab, and a powerful straight left hand to keep Davis at bay. Martin also used brilliant distance, which didn’t allow Davis to get close enough to land one of his big punches. This game plan worked as the right side of Davis’ face started to swell, reflecting the number of punches he was taking from Martin.

Going into round four, the question was whether Martin had the stamina to keep up the good footwork all night. Davis made it a point to apply pressure in the round and landed the first big left hook of the fight that stunned Martin. Whether it was that punch or the early body work from Davis, the momentum shifted in favor of the lightweight champion. Davis started to plant some seeds in the fifth round when he landed a hard right uppercut to Martin’s chest and followed it with an overhand left.

Before starting the sixth round, Davis’ trainer, Calvin Ford, told his fighter that he needed to increase his punch output. Davis then began to stalk Martin and walk him down. He would land some big shots, and you almost felt that Davis would land something big soon that could end this fight. Davis continued with this game plan in the seventh after his trainer, Ford, told him he would need the rest of the rounds to win the fight. Davis was trapping Martin more toward the corners, and the fancy footwork that got Martin out of trouble earlier in the fight just wasn’t there. He was stationary, and it appeared Martin was getting fatigued.

The eighth round came, and Davis felt that the time was approaching when he would have the opportunity to put this fight away. After trapping Martin in a corner, Davis landed a hard right hook, which opened up Martin’s defense. Davis followed it with a quick left uppercut and a left hook, which was the final blow. Martin would go crashing down and wouldn’t get up in time to beat the ten count. The knockout sent the arena into a frenzy, and Davis gave the fans in attendance the pound of flesh they were craving all night.

Who Is Next For Davis?

That is the question on everyone’s mind. Bob Arum went on the record to say with Boxing News that Vasiliy Lomachenko may be Davis’ next opponent. Arum said the talks between Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions have been ongoing to see if that fight can get done. For years, this was the fight that fans wanted to see, but the time wasn’t right and now that Lomachenko is 36 and closer to retirement than ever, the time is now for Davis to get that rub. It’s still a good fight, but Davis is too much at his peak for Lomachenko to beat him. However, the hope is that we can all see this fight later in the year.

Who else is out there? A rematch with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz is a real option, and now that Cruz’s popularity is through the roof, it’s a fight that would generate big interest from the public, especially how close their first fight was on the scorecards. Shakur Stevenson could be an option as he approaches free agency, but he will have to have a big win in July for fans to desire that matchup, as his past wins haven’t gained faith in Stevenson putting together an entertaining fight. Outside of that, the options are thin unless Davis drops down to 130 or moves up to 140.

Regardless of what Davis does next, he is “must-see TV” and has the full attention of pop-culture, which is only growing, making him a larger-than-life figure in society. Fighters who can demand the type of attention Davis does only come around every so often, so buckle up, as this ride is far from over and will only become bigger in the coming years.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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