WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 29-0 (27) has revealed he has some reservations going in to his title defence against Frank ‘The Ghost’ Martin 18-0 (12) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old Baltimore southpaw has not stepped foot in a prize ring since his seventh round knockout of Ryan Garcia 25-1 (20) in April last year.
Part of the reason for his time on the sidelines has been his legal battles, including a 44-day stay in jail for breaching the terms of his house arrest. Davis was originally sentenced to 90 days of home detention after pleading guilty to charges relating to a car crash in November 2020 that injured four people, including a pregnant woman.
“I haven’t been in the ring in like 14 months,” said Davis on the PBC preview show Gloves Off. “Me being out of the ring for so long, I don’t know how I’ll feel going into the ring again.
“You know how good you are, but it’s still what can he bring to the table? He might bring something crazy to the table, or you might be off. It’s a love-hate for the sport. But it’s cool.
“I don’t really let a lot of stuff bother me. I know that I can adapt to the situation I’m in. I’ve had to overcome a lot of stuff.”
Davis also spoke about his time in jail.
“I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be in there,” Davis said. “It was a learning experience. It showed me that’s not where I want to be. I got kids I got to take care of, my family, friends and everything I’ve got to take care of.”
Fellow lefty Martin, also 29, from Indianapolis is taking a big step up in class to face Davis, who The Ring rates as the eighth best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
But Davis isn’t underestimating the task at hand.
“He’s not like a walking duck,” Davis said. “He’s coming to win. He’s going to be champion one day, just not June 15.”
He added: “I’m fighting for my future, my kids’ future, my people’s future that’s coming behind me. It’s me, but it’s not just me.
“I’m already a legend from where I’ve come from for what I’ve done. I’ve done been through mad stuff, sleeping on floors, crack houses, all that stuff. I’ve been through all that.
“I ain’t got to prove nothing for nobody else. That’s why I’ll never get too hype about the win after I win, because you always got to do something over and over again until you’re done.
“And there’s always going to be somebody next, somebody next.”
The Ring ranks Davis number two at lightweight behind only Vasiliy Lomachenko 18-3 (12). Martin is ranked number five.
