Gervonta Davis scored yet another sensational knockout victory over previously undefeated Frank Martin at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, taking his record to 30-0 with 28 early finishes
Davis returned to action following a long lay-off after his statement Ryan Garcia win last year. In that time he was elevated to the full WBA Lightweight World Champion when Devin Haney vacated to move up to 140lbs. In the opposite corner for his first defence was Frank ‘The Ghost’ Martin – prompting ‘Tank’s team to enter draped in ‘Who ya gonna call?’ garb.
Martin entered the ring boasting a tricky southpaw style but fighting as a heavy underdog to the hard-hitting Baltimore boxer.
It was no surprise that Davis started with his output low, as he does, beginning the process of figuring out the slick movement of Martin, who threw out a consistent jab as he circled the champion. Davis started to pitch some power punches from the second onwards, making sure to keep his former sparring partner on his toes.
Both men found success in the third with Martin’s sharp combo looking the more impressive. It prompted ‘Tank’ to switch his aggression up a gear in the fourth. Martin’s game-plan continued to work in the fifth when Davis found more success, his counters particularly impressive in the face of the famed power.
Davis targeted the body just shy of the halfway stage and managed to pin the elusive Martin down in the corner on a couple of occasions. Martin held on in the seventh after taking two or three to the chin, but quickly returned fire. He would take more to head and body as the round went on in what looked a real turning point in ‘Tank’s favour, even despite a notable counter.
As Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis does, he ended it quickly when his time came. A flurry in the corner in the eighth dazed Martin, a left uppercut took his legs and the left hook on the unguarded chin laid him out flat on his back.
Gervonta Davis just knocked out Frank Martin in the 8th‼️😳🥊#TankMartinpic.twitter.com/hBPZKxvIGM
— Fitesite (@Fitesite) June 16, 2024
Post-fight, he reflected on his performance, last year’s incarceration and who he wants next – namely Shakur Stevenson, Vasily Lomachenko or Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
“I knew that he was gonna tire down. I just stand there, be a target for him just so he can tire himself out. Once he tire himself out I start picking him apart.”
“[Jail] made me a better person by patience. Stuff happened in life and you gotta go through it and not try to get around it. It made me a better father, a better everything. I want to be a better athlete as I continue to build and be great.”
“Most importantly I want to just get back to the drawing board, get back to the gym, I felt that was a little rusty, but all of them guys [Lomachenko, Stevenson, Cruz]
