By Ron Harris

Las Vegas – Patience is the name of the game for Super Star boxer, Gervonta “Tank” Davis.  For 5 or 6 rounds he let Frank “Ghost” Martin think he was winning the early rounds to the point where he decided to relax.  Wrong move against a fighter like Davis.  Patience should be Davis’s fight nick name.  All his fights seemed to be scripted in the same manner.  Slow start, take some blows, lose some rounds and then figure out his opponent and lower a booming left.  In this fight, in round 8, Davis got Martin in the corner and threw a right around the neck area, followed that with a left upper cut that connected and had Martin out on his feet and Davis followed that up with a stinging left to Martin’s head and he fell like a tree to the canvas so hard that his head smashed to the canvas at 1:29 of the round.  Referee Harvey Dock reached the count of 10 as Martin tried hard to get to his feet.  Davis (30-0-28 KO’s) is the undisputed king at 135 pounds.  He defended his World Boxing Association belt at light weight.

“I was a little crusty, a little rusty, but I’m back,” said Davis.  Tank had a 14-month layoff, which was his longest time away from the ring.  Some of that time was spent behind bars.  Davis has had trouble with the law and this time he spent 44 days incarcerated.  “A couple of rounds I did not warm up completely like I wanted to.  I knew that he was going to get tired down.  That’s why I was standing there being a target so he could tire himself out and when he tired himself out, I started picking him apart.” Davis’s face was bruised up somewhat.  “It’s a little sore but it comes with the sport.  I feel the time away made me a better person.  I am more patient and more focused on being a better father and being better at my job.”

Martin, 18-1, from Detroit, is known for his footwork and his movement.  He got too comfortable, and it hurt him. “I felt like in the beginning I was in control.  Then I got too comfortable.  I was chilling on the ropes looking for a shot that never presented itself.  I stopped doing my movement.  Once I stopped my movements, he started landing more shots.  I wasn’t thinking about my early success.  I was trying not to move too much because I know that’s what they wanted me to do.  He landed a big shot that I didn’t see.  I didn’t see the up and they say it’s the punches you don’t see that come from underneath do most damage.”

The official scores had Davis ahead on all 3 cards with scores of 67-66. Once again Davis filled up a 20,000-seat arena.  Just another day at the office for Baltimore’s own Tank Davis.  There are several attractive opponents out there for Davis.  “I need to get back in the gym and I’ll be ready for those fighters.  All of them are on my radar.”

Photo credit:  Esther Lin

Ron Harris is a retired college administrator, coach, broadcaster, Internet and TV sports producer and host.  He’s also a former radio host of a live call-in show.  Ron has been a mainstay of the Washington DC area sports landscape for decades covering all the major professional sports, college sports, boxing and more.