Gervonta “Tank” Davis started slowly but eventually emerged victorious with a powerful knockout victory over Frank Martin.
A 15-month break clearly took its toll on the unbeaten fighter, as Davis didn't put in much effort early on, allowing Martin to take the lead on the scorecards, but it was all part of his game plan, as Davis waited for Martin to finally slow down before forcing his opponent against the ropes or into a corner and beginning to land his biggest punches.
The bout ended with Martin retreating to his corner and Davis landing a powerful uppercut that stunned the Detroit native before Davis landed another powerful left punch that sent Martin to the canvas and denied him any chance to earn a 10 count.
Davis celebrated with another knockout win by climbing to the top rope and flipping backwards towards the ring again, following his dominant win over Ryan Garcia in April 2023.
“I came back,” Davis said after the fight, “and I felt like I wasn't fully warmed up like I wanted to be for a couple of rounds. It's OK, no excuses. I didn't care about his footwork. I knew he was going to get tired.”
“I just stood there and was a target for him to wear down. Once he wore down, I started attacking him.”
Davis' assessment is pretty much in line with how the fight actually unfolded.
In the early rounds, Martin was the more aggressive puncher, but Davis gave up and just moved around the ring, so he didn't do much damage. Martin won on the scorecards because he was more aggressive, but he couldn't hurt Davis with his punches.
To Martin's credit, he landed some blows on Davis that left the right side of his face significantly swollen, but “Tank” kept coming forward unafraid of the blows coming back at him.
By the fifth round, Davis not only woke up but became much more active on the offensive and began landing big, powerful punches on Martin. As Martin slowed down, he made the crucial mistake of retreating to his corner multiple times, allowing Davis to hit Martin with ferocious combinations.
Like chopping down a tree, Davis demonstrated patience by attacking Martin bit by bit, looking for the best opportunity to get him some sleep for the night.
The final sleep came in the eighth round, when Davis, viciously targeting the head with every shot, again forced Martin into a corner, where he landed a left uppercut that threw back the head of Martin's opponent, leaving him confused.
The next left punch ended Martin's night, giving Davis his 28th knockout in 30 career fights.
The win moves Davis to 30-0 career, but more importantly it means bigger and better opportunities await him with the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Shakur Stevenson waiting for him.
For now, Davis just wants to get better and looks forward to the chance to compete against whoever stands in his way.
“The biggest thing is I want to get back on track,” Davis said, “get back in the gym and stay focused. I felt like I was off a little bit, but all of those guys are my goals.”
