AP – Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis made a triumphant return to the ring after more than a year away, once again showing why he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers.
Armed with a punching power not typically associated with a lightweight, Davis made full use of his skills yesterday in dominating Frank Martin and knocking him out at 1:29 of the eighth round to retain the World Boxing Association (WBA) championship.
“I knew the way he fell he wasn’t getting back up,” Davis said.
Davis delivered a right and two lefts to Martin’s face to send the Indianapolis resident to the canvass for his first career loss after he won his first 18 fights. Tank again proved to be one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, improving to 30-0 – all but two by knockout. He predicted before the fight an eight-round knockout.
“I was just throwing that out there. Next fight in the first round,” Davis said, smiling. This fight showed why Davis, a Baltimore native and resident, was a substantial favourite at 7-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
That bout between 29-year-olds headlined the 100th championship fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has been supplanted by T-Mobile Arena as Las Vegas’ prime spot for combat sports. To mark the occasion, four title fights took place, including the interim WBC light heavyweight championship that David Benavidez won by unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
