Tim Bradley believes the Gervonta Tank Davis vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko fight is “50-50,” with the Baltimore native likely to lose.
Bradley points out that two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) is the best fighter WBA “regular” lightweight champion Tank Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) has faced in his 11-year pro career, and that it doesn't matter that Loma is seven years older than the 29-year-old Davis.
Tank conceded rounds to his previous opponents, Frank Martin, Ryan Garcia, and Mario Barrios. Tank does not have the boxing skills to beat Lomachenko without a knockout, which is never a good thing for a fighter who relies solely on winning by knockout.
Lomachenko: Different species
“I think Loma is a tougher opponent. I think he's the smartest fighter Tank's ever been in the ring with. I think he's the most athletic fighter Tank's ever been in the ring with,” Tim Bradley told FightHype about the upcoming November fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Losing seven rounds to Lomachenko is not good for Tank, and he needs a come-from-behind knockout to win in November. Lomachenko will be on the defensive and won't be foolish enough to jump off the ropes and fight Tank like Martin and Leo Santa Cruz did.
“He's a Grade A guy at 36. He's a Grade A guy. He's fought everybody, he's defused everybody that he's been in the ring with,” Bradley said. “Just watch 'Axeman.' [Nicholas Walters]and I know it was a young Roma [in 2016]. “
Against Teofimo Lopez, Lomachenko was fighting one-armed and facing a much larger and younger fighter, yet he dominated five of the final six rounds of the bout.
“Look at Theo again, that's a young Loma. Theo had the power too, he got out of the way and was able to get behind it and fight through a broken shoulder. Loma is smart. I don't think he's seen Tank for a long time,” Bradley said.
Tank has very limited skills and a bad habit of hiding in high guard for long periods during fights, and watching him, I can tell he's going to suffer a lot of defeats as he gets older if he doesn't retire.
Tanks' Achilles heel
“He's wanted to fight him for years. Is age a factor? Maybe. Does Loma have fight experience? Yes, he has 400 amateur fights, he's smart and I think he can make waves in this fight. I don't think it's a given that Tank will catch him and knock him out,” Bradley said.
Lomachenko may not be as young as he once was, but his mind is as sharp as ever and what he's learned over the years may be enough to make up for his lost youth and Tank's power advantage.
“I think it's going to be a tough fight for Tank. I think he's going to have to catch him and hurt him to secure the win. I think it's a 50-50 fight. I think Tank can win this fight and knock him out,” Bradley said.
