One of Gervonta “Tank” Davis' past opponents can't help but praise his evolution into an intimidating figure who is fast making a name for himself as one of the best players in the game.
The 29-year-old Davis defeated Frank Martin in his most recent defense of his WBA lightweight title, cementing his reputation as one of the most recognizable fighters in the world and arguably the best fighter in the 135-pound division.
It was in 2017 that he travelled to London to stop the previously unbeaten Liam Walsh. One of the UK's top fighters at the time, Walsh has continued to follow his progress since retiring and has witnessed a huge transformation.
There has been ongoing speculation that Davis could face IBF champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, but Walsh believes he needs to beat an opponent of that calibre to establish himself as “elite”.
Wins over Ryan Garcia and Martin have proven Walsh was even more of a favorite than he realized in 2017. Walsh remains passionate about his former profession and is always watching fighters and matches, but he said, “The word 'special' was something my brother Ryan sent me straight away.” [after the victory over Martin]”He's really special.” “I told you, Ryan, he's more than just a force.”
“I didn't have much time there with him, so I can't speak like an expert. But when I was there, it was different than anyone else I was with. And I felt. He was [Vasiliy] Lomachenko starts off as they talk about being an elite fighter, a pound-for-pounder.
“I respect his position as a child raised in an orphanage. [in Baltimore]He's in a position where he can take care of himself and his kids for the rest of his life, so I'm a big fan of his.
“Initially, the assessment of him was, 'He's a tremendous power puncher. [But] His judgment of distance and timing are superb, and his accuracy is second to none. Every time he hits the ball with all his might, it hits him on the chin. It doesn't hit his cheekbone, it doesn't graze the side of his head, it hits him on the chin, it hits him with precision.
“I felt he was that good. But I still think he needs a name. To me, his greatest win was probably [in 2017, Jose] Pedraza took the title from the champion. He's a Puerto Rican from New York. He has a big name. [Ryan] Garcia; [Yuriorkis] Gamboa; “Pit Bull” [Isaac] Cruz looks even better off winning. I'd love to see him vs Lomachenko. I've always respected Lomachenko. What a fighter. But the longer the fight goes on, and the better “Tank” gets with each fight, I'm starting to think “Can he beat Lomachenko?”
“He's definitely a game-changer and has the advantage. I don't think Lomachenko can do any damage to Tank. As long as the fight is relatively close or even, Tank can always beat him. I thought Devin Haney would beat Tank. His style was to be cautious and not take any risks, but people are starting to pay attention to Tank. I'm starting to think he could beat everybody.” [Lopez is] That's a difficult question because he's a very big man. [Stevenson] He beats them all. He's amazing. He thinks in a totally different way.
“The same goes for the Tank elite. He just needs a name. Shakur wanted a name. He fought [in 2022, Oscar] He beat Valdez and made him look like an average fighter.”
The win over Walsh was Davis' only fight outside the United States and, in contrast to his run-up to the Garcia and Martin bouts, he came across as a reserved, perhaps shy, figure.
It's hard to miss that Davis had his promoter, the attention-hungry Floyd Mayweather, by his side when he was preparing to fight Walsh, but Walsh believes Davis has changed as a person both in and out of the ring.
“He's grown a lot,” Walsh said. “He was a much better fighter when he fought me. He's more confident in himself now. I think when I fought him he still had a few doubts. When he beat Pedraza he looked invincible, he didn't seem worried about anything. It was the same when he fought me, but I think there was still something missing. He missed the weight limit in his next fight.” [against Francisco Fonseca] I don't know if he was as totally into it as he is now.
“Right now he's like, 'I know I'm the best fighter in the world,' and he carries himself like it. All the experience he's had has helped him a lot, because it's given him patience. He's never frustrated when he loses a round. He's like, 'OK, I'm going to get you.' He soaks it all up.” [learning to read his opponents]He knows what's coming, and he's definitely a lot better now.
“He wasn't trying to intimidate me. He didn't run into me anyway. We went head-to-head and he was asked how he thought the fight would go and he said, 'I've watched Liam a little bit and if he fights the way I've seen him fight, I think he'll lose within six rounds.' And he was right. He wasn't trying to intimidate me. Now he's playing that card, right?
“At the end of the fight, he came in the ring and said, ‘It’s all business.’ That’s all he said.
“There's nothing personal. There was no animosity, really. We never even saw each other at the weigh-in the morning of the fight. He wasn't trying to intimidate me. Now I see him intimidating me, and I love that. You look at that and you think, 'They're really scared,' and he's intimidating them. It's a lot of fun to watch.”
