Tim Bradley says the fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko is the “hardest” fight Gervonta Davis has ever faced. Bradley says Tank needs a knockout to win because he can't outbox Lomachenko and win by decision. Tank will either knock Loma out or lose by decision.
Tank knockout command
Tank will fall behind in fights, but that won't be the case against Lomachenko, because he fights well when he's ahead and knows how to maintain that lead without getting caught out by a desperate home run punch.
Bradley feels Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs), who he will fight in a unification bout in November, will bring something to the table that Tank Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) has never seen before in his lengthy career.
Davis, the WBA lightweight champion, has the power to win if he can land the hits, but Bradley isn't so sure he can do that.
“I don't think Loma is slowing down anymore. Tank has to knock him out. Loma has the lead on the scorecards so Tank has to knock him out,” commentator Tim Bradley told Fight Hub TV of Gervonta “Tank” Davis needing a knockout to beat Vasiliy Lomachenko in November.
Lomachenko was undefeated in his last two fights against George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney. He stopped Kambosos Jr. and got a controversial decision over Haney that many thought he won. I predicted Lomachenko would beat Haney 8-4.
“It'll be interesting to see Tank's game plan and what he does. If Tank comes forward and throws combinations and gets behind the jab, he'll be able to control Loma. But if he falls back and tries to use his high guard and doesn't do anything in between, Loma will be able to push him back,” Bradley continued.
Tank Davis steps forward and presses, but then pulls his hands back. The three fighters Lomachenko struggled with – Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Orlando Salido – all had mobility that was close to Loma's. Tank's movements are similar to those of Guillermo Rigondeaux, who was stationary and powerless.
“Loma's not running. He's going to stay close. He's going to stay out of reach. He's going to play outside, inside, out of reach, close the distance.”
People will be watching Loma's movements because he shows them in every fight. That's what he did to beat George Kambosos Jr. last May. In that fight, Lomachenko came in and threw punches, then moved out of range of Kambosos's hard punches. He'll do the same thing against Tank Davis because he's a predictable fighter as well.
Roma’s Unique Skill Set
“I think Loma brings something to Tank that we've never seen before. Loma will be the toughest fighter Tank has ever faced. He's mentally strong and experienced for his age. Any legendary fighter can put up another good fight, they're just waiting for the opportunity to show it,” Bradley said.
Lomachenko is worlds better than the fighters Tank has faced – older, better fighters and B-rank heavy hitters like Ryan Garcia, Frank Martin, Isaac Cruz and Rolando “Rollie” Romero. Tank has never fought a pure boxer, and that's not a coincidence. His management didn't want Tank to lose a boxing match.
“I think Tank is the right guy for him. Roma knows he has to go to the ocean. Roma, you have to go to the bottom of the ocean. The deepest part of the ocean. [to beat Tank]”If you're going to beat Tank, go back and try again because Tank is younger and stronger,” Bradley said.
Lomachenko would be fired up to face anyone, but a fight with Tank Davis would be awesome – he's wanted to fight this guy for seven years and now his chance has finally come.
The fact that Tank Davis' management waited until Lomachenko was 36 is a sign of respect because it shows they never thought he could win. They didn't have faith in Tank so they didn't book the fight.
