Gervonta Davis doesn’t take criticism lightly and fires back verbally with as much sting as his shots in the ring.
The 29-year-old from Baltimore is well known for his unwavering confidence, backed up by a fighting style that’s one of the most watchable in the sport and has produced 28 knockouts from 30 fights.
It’s widely accepted that ‘Tank’ has the skillset and power to be considered one of the best boxers in the world, but some believe he is yet to consistently show his true potential against other top fighters.
Former fighter turned trainer John Scully was recently asked on the 10-8 podcast if Davis would make it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame should he hang up the gloves today. ‘Iceman’ said that the current WBA Lightweight World Champion – whose most impressive wins came over Leo Santa Cruz and Ryan Garcia – didn’t deserve it.
“No. I mean, probably in this era and the way they do things, but for me the Hall of Fame has always been the elite of the elites. You’re talking Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali. Again, I don’t wanna say any names, but there are guys in the Hall of Fame that absolutely positively there’s no way on Earth they should be in the Hall of Fame. Zero.”
‘Tank’ Davis caught wind of the opinion and responded via X, appearing to discredit the achievements of Scully’s current star Artur Beterbiev, who this month became the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion in over two decades with a win over Dmitry Bivol.
“That big [strong] ass goofy that he trains not a Hall of Fame fighter and he’s ass.”
Both Beterbiev and Bivol are considered top pound-for-pound fighters. The Russian’s incredible knockout ratio – 100% in 20 fights until Bivol took him the distance for the first time – paired with the contenders he has beaten and the undisputed status will almost certainly put him on the ballot in future. Beterbiev, 39, is expected to take the immediate rematch with Bivol next.
Though Davis is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in the sport, fans and pundits would like to see him consistently fight at the top level. Following a stoppage win over previously undefeated Frank Martin, his upcoming bout against super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr, has been met with some criticism.
