Gervonta “Tank” Davis is talented, a three-time champion at 30-years old. The WBA Lightweight Champion has capitalized with his success. He certainly doesn’t need the money having defeated those who made the challenge including the much hyped and young superstar Ryan Garcia.
But there was something different late Tuesday afternoon at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a venue where he will defend his title March 1 against Lamont Roach, the WBA Super Featherweight champion. The PBC event will be streamed via pay-per-view on Amazon Prime.
The difference, Davis was subtle and quiet. What wasn’t different, Davis was four hours late for the presser that was scheduled for 1pm, a pattern for the champion who usually becomes the showman to hype his fights. And soon the subtle Davis was warming up with his comments. It had nothing to do with him missing his private plane departure from Miami that caused the long delay.
“After next year I’m out of it,” Davis said. The suggestion alludes to Davis saying two more fights and he’s leaving boxing after next year. Can this be taken seriously, and in a few months will we see the last of Davis as an active pro fighter in Brooklyn?
All of that speculation remains, but Davis was just getting started. Known as one of the top pound-for-pound best, Davis excels at throwing a curve or two when he talks. Davis is more known for stopping opponents in the 8th or 9th round after a slow start and expects to do the same against Roach.
But for a fighter with success in the prime of his career, why would Davis quickly swerve from Roach to hang up the gloves? It was nothing different from how Davis tests his opponents in the beginning rounds and later goes for the finish.
However it had people talking, unless another circumstance is on Davis’ agenda, and in boxing this would not be the first time. Fighters average two bouts a year, different from the old days when they fought four times. Davis loves boxing, the fans gravitate to his style. Overall a fighter who rose as that young superstar to champion three times.
Indeed that comment had Davis talking more, even accepting the challenge to a bet from someone not identified about when he would finish Roach. The talk of quitting boxing was more interesting than getting a viable explanation about being late to how he would handle Roach, a fighter he defeated twice before turning pro.
The two know each other well thanks to proximity, Roach (Washington DC) and Davis (Baltimore Maryland). The fight was originally scheduled to take place at the Capital One Arena in DC, but it was quickly shifted to Barclays Center, a venue where Davis (30-0, 29 KO’s) had success defeating mandatory lightweight opponent Rolando Romero in 2022.
So, Davis has not avoided challenges and is a draw also on PPV, a premiere star with Showtime Championship Boxing before they closed their doors with the sport earlier this year. It’s that comment that leaves the question, is Davis serious about putting an end to taking and throwing punches?
Though he said, if the opportunity comes by moving to 140, then major fights with champion Teofimo Lopez and rematch with Garcia are possible. He claims Vasily Lomachenko (IBF lightweight champion) and Shakur Stevenson (WBC lightweight champion) have been ducking him.
He certainly swerved from talking about two more fights and calling it a career, a different spin when discussing some possible mega fights that could happen. Say what you want, boxing is about talk and fighters tend to stir the pot on social media that lead to mega events. Davis is no different from the others, his talk does generate attention on social media platforms where boxing gets headlines instead of back page newspaper headlines of the past.
“We got three months, we just go to get ready,” Davis said. “Right now I’m not really big into getting into it and stuff like that,” not the usual tone at a presser where Davis is never a loss for words about strategy.
So, perhaps Davis has realized that major fights he wants are not ahead. Perhaps this a champion that would rather be fighting Lopez, Lomachenko, or someone also ranked rather than looking at an old friend face-to-face in March.
One only knows what Davis has planned. A legacy has been built in some regard and more could come. Age is not a factor, and of course when Davis gets an opportunity to defend his title, the financial benefits are strong. Boxing people said they were also thrown a swerve about Davis looking at two more fights and calling it a career. Perhaps after Roach, a heavy underdog, Davis will talk differently.
Regardless, the 29-year old Roach (25-1-1, 10 KO’s) will be ready for the southpaw and opponent he knows well in and out of the ring. He won his title after a second opportunity in November of 2003 via split decision.
“I’m tough and great, I’m smart and witty,” he said. “Whatever I gotta pull out my bag of tricks that’s what I’m gonna do. I know he gonna be surprised.”
But the surprise won’t be seeing the last of Davis in Brooklyn because fighters talk in the ring. Unless Roach pulls off the upset, surely this is not the last. There is too much money still on the table and Davis is considered a superstar with much more to give.
Though, in three months, more will be told.
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