Gervonta Davis still wants to hang around the lightweight division
In his next prizefight, Regular WBA World Lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (24-0, 23 KO’s) calls himself shooting for greatness. It was his idea to leap two weight classes from his last fight to challenger Regular WBA World Super Lightweight champion Mario Barrios. Tank did not take kindly to being labeled a bully for facing the smaller Leo Santa Cruz in his last bout.
After getting off to a great start out-boxing Davis, Cruz met with a grisly demise in the sixth. While caught in the corner, Davis cracked Cruz’s chin with a debilitating left uppercut. The punch instantly turned his limbs limp and soggy as a slice of milk soaked wheat bread.
That uppercut, and the image of Santa Cruz’s lifeless shell plunging to the canvas, instantly went viral. Yet, Davis considers himself to be a real fighter, and no real fighter wants to be known for feasting on lesser competition. Bearing this in mind, Tank thought it would be a nifty idea to fight a much bigger guy since the flak was for ruthlessly assaulting a smaller guy.
“Last fight everyone was complaining about me fighting a smaller guy. So we said why not go to 140 and test a young lion like Barrios. He just turned 26, he’s undefeated, he’s a world champion. So we are just challenging ourselves to see how great we really are.”
MAYBE HERE, MAYBE THERE
This should be a good fight due to the height and reach advantage that Barrios will enjoy. At the same time however, many feel that Davis did not have travel anywhere whatsoever to make a great fight. Within his lightweight division, just one below Barrios’ super lightweight home, Tank has a number of intriguing fights. There is a showdown with WBC World Lightweight champion Devin Haney, the popular Ryan Garcia, and of course unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.
Any one of those bouts would make for great boxing and a very sellable main event. For a brief period, Davis was discussing making a fight with Garcia. Unfortunately, as Tank explained to the Last Stand Podcast, in rather cryptic fashion, those negotiations did not meet a beneficial end.
“I mean, [he was] somebody that think he run something and he don’t run nothing, that’s basically what it was. He think he run the show and we showed him that he don’t run nothing, even on his side!”
Despite that failed bout, Davis is firm in the fact that he still would like to compete at lightweight in the future. Although, he is just as open about loving his ability to access numerous options.
“For me, to be honest, personally I would rather stay at 130, 135, but I am somebody that is all for the team. And whatever best decision that my team makes that we all agree with or agree as one, then I’m for it.
…I’m at a time right now where I’m strong wherever I put my mind to. If I go to 130, ’35, ‘40, I’m strong! I’m at a age where I can move up and down. I’m in my prime still.”
First, Tank must focus on Barrios. Yet if successful, it will be interesting to see what move Tank makes next.
By: Bakari Simpson
