Praise from Evander Holyfield carries extreme weight in the sport of boxing.
‘The Real Deal’ was the first – and for a long time the only – man to become undisputed at both cruiser and heavyweight, recently joined by Oleksandr Usyk.
In his day, Holyfield had to beat the likes of Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson, Hasim Rahman and Carlos De Leon to secure his place in the history books. Having retired officially in 2011, the 62-year-old now watches the new generation from ringside.
When asked by Fight Hub TV which fighter outside of the current heavyweight scene excites him the most, Holyfield was quick to name Gervonta Davis.
“The little guy that’s always knocking somebody out, left-handed guy… Gervonta. He reminds me of Pernell Whitaker but he’s got more power than Pernell Whitaker. He’ll put you out. These type of fighters like this, they take all the argument and everything out. When you’re a big puncher, you ain’t gonna just hit him, one-two, you gonna knock him out. Don’t nobody complain when somebody gets knocked out. You can’t blame the referee. It’s just good sometimes to see little guys with big punches.
“He’s skillful [too.] He’s got a good jab and all stuff like this. And if he hits you with two or three shots, and every one of them shots he’s swinging hard. He crushes them.”
‘Tank’ is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport today. He has been taken the distance just twice in 30 fights, ending the other 28 by stoppage, often with one shot. 16 of those knockouts have come in the first three rounds.
What makes the 29-year-old southpaw even more watchable is the way he goes about closing in on his opponents, often happy to drop a round or two before he can strike. With confidence as high as his, he rarely looks in danger of letting a fight get away from him entirely.
After an emphatic stoppage of Frank Martin back in June, Davis will next defend his WBA Lightweight World Title against Lamont Roach Jr, though recent reports say that the initial December date is no longer feasible.
Should ‘Tank’ come through as expected when they do face off, it is widely accepted that the best fight for him in the division is against fellow champion Shakur Stevenson, which would present one of the most clear-cut clash of styles in the sport.
The question to be answered is whether or not Davis can produce one of those knockouts that caught Holyfield’s eye against one of the least hittable fighters in the sport.
