Tank Davis Lays Claim To Being The Face of Boxing After Ryan Garcia KO
Gervonta “Tank” Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) lived up to his power-punching reputation with his one-punch seventh-round knockout over bitter rival Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight was heavily hyped and was a mainstream event. Fighting on Showtime pay-per-view and with an audience full of stars in the sports and entertainment world, Davis viewed the fight against Garcia as his catapult to superstardom.
Following the win, Tank said the following about his standing in the sport:
“I’m definitely the face of boxing, abso-fucking-lutely!”
But while the resident of Baltimore, Maryland feels he stands out above his contemporaries when it comes to star power, is he even the face of the lightweight division?
The fight with Garcia will be a box-office success. The pay-per-view numbers will be impressive. So, from that standpoint, Davis has some right to feel that way about himself. However, it’s one thing to draw the attention of casual boxing and mainstream sports fans. It’s another thing to get true respect from those who follow the sport with a fine-tooth comb.
TO THE CONTRARY
There is still a legion of boxing insiders and pundits who will ask this simple question: how is the reigning WBA lightweight champion the face of the sport when there is a legit question if he’s the best at 135? Sorry, but the victory over Garcia fails to prove that point.
They believe that Davis needs to seek out a fight with the winner of the May 20 battle between current undisputed champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) and three-division champion Vasyl Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs).
Davis and Haney, in particular, have a history. They’ve known each other since the two were amateurs. They’ve done their fair share of trash-talking toward each other over the years. Should Haney defeat Lomachenko, a fight between him and Davis would be another massive battle. If Davis were to collect all the belts at lightweight, he gains the appeal of the masses and the respect of the insiders.
Heavy is the responsibility of those that wear the crown. If Davis wants to anoint himself as the new face of boxing, there are those who are ready to hold him accountable.
