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Why Gervonta Davis knocks out Frank Martin to retain WBA lightweight title

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Gervonta Davis

After the longest layoff of his professional career, Gervonta Davis “Tank” made a triumphant return to the ring, reminding the boxing world of his formidable one-punch power.

Davis secured an eighth-round knockout against Frank Martin on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, retaining his WBA lightweight title.

Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) showcased his signature power with a devastating left uppercut followed by a straight left, sending Martin crashing into the ropes and onto the canvas. This victory marked Davis’s fourth consecutive knockout win. Despite conceding five of the first six rounds to gather data on his opponent, Davis ended the bout in spectacular fashion.

Gervonta Davis' Next Opponent In Doubt After Talks With Loma Break Off

 

“A couple rounds, I didn’t feel like I warmed up completely like I wanted to, but I did warm up as the fight was going on,” said Davis, who was fighting for the first time in 421 days. “I knew that he was going to tire down, so I was just standing there, being a target for him so he could tire himself out. And once he tired himself out, I started picking him apart.”

Entering the seventh round, Martin (18-1, 12 KOs) held a slight edge in power punches, leading 37-31 according to CompuBox statistics. However, Davis reversed this margin dramatically by landing 19 power punches to Martin’s 11 in that round.

The seventh round set the stage for Gervonta Davis brutal finale. He stalked Martin into the corner and began unloading a flurry of punches. A clean left hand stunned Martin, and Davis unleashed another powerful shot that sealed the knockout victory, drawing cheers from the announced crowd of 13,249.

Gervonta Davis slams Saudi Arabia's billion-dollar boxing plans, Turki Alalshikh claps back | Marca

 

Davis had not fought since his seventh-round knockout of Ryan Garcia in April 2023, also in Las Vegas. His time away from the ring included a 44-day stint in a detention center for violating the terms of his house arrest related to a car accident that injured four people, including a pregnant woman.

“I’ve been around for a long time,” said Davis, whose right cheek was swollen and red from absorbing blows in the early rounds. “I’ve been training since I was 7 years old and competing since I was 8. It’s like second nature. It’s about staying focused, making sure my mind is on a goal, and that’s always to come out on top.”— Gene Wang

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BOXING

Why Jaron Ennis Delivers Honest Verdict On Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson: “He Can Do It All”

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Gervonta Davis

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is one of the new breakout stars of boxing.

The Philadelphia fighter recently signed with Matchroom and got his latest win at home in front of the largest crowd in the city for many years. His impressive fifth-round stoppage of former European champion David Avanesyan was his 29th knockout from 32 fights overall and was the first defence of his IBF welterweight belt.

On a similar level are Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, two lightweight belt holders who have long been linked with fighting each other.

 

‘Tank’ is an all-action knockout artist and pay-per-view star, while Stevenson is more of a technical fighter who often takes a safety-first approach on his way to patient wins, and that has brought some ire from fans in recent times.

Gervonta Davis Receives Approval To Travel To Paris And Join The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team

Speaking to Cigar Talk, ‘Boots’ was asked about how a fight between the two might go and, like many, found it a hard one to call.

“That’s a great fight, you know, I think that’s 50-50, two great guys, two sharp guys. That’s a great fight. I really think it’s 50-50, they both great fighters, we’re not gonna know ’till they get in the ring. That’s a great match, Shakur is sharp, he knows how to box, he’s technical, ‘Tank’, he’s sharp, he can box, he’s got power, he can do everything. I think that’s gonna be a sharp type of fight.”

A possible unification fight between the two just moved a step close after Vasiliy Lomachenko pulled out of negotiations to fight ‘Tank’ next.

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BOXING

He also said that Anthony Joshua tends to be more aggressive when he knows he is fighting someone he can beat

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Anthony Joshua

Win lose or draw, Anthony Joshua always seems to come in for criticism.

So far in his 31-fight career, Joshua has lost only three times. The first was an upset against Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019 which he quickly avenged in December of the same year.

The other two were back-to-back 12-round contests against the soon-to-be undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk. Despite winning rounds on the cards and not being put down, many people claimed Joshua was done.

He has disproved that by coming back with four wins, three by knockout, and now he is to take on Daniel Dubois as he attempts to become a three-time heavyweight champion.

Joshua finally moves out of mom's house ahead Dubois bout

 

 

However, contender Jarrell Miller – who recently lost to Dubois – claims Joshua has only looked good in those fights because the opponents had no power.

Speaking to BoxNation, he was asked if he still thinks he will fight Joshua one day after missing out in June 2019 when he tested positive for banned substances late in the day.

“I think it still happens, but like I said before If I’d got that win against Dubois it would have been me against ‘AJ’ not Francis Ngannou against ‘AJ’. I think it still happens. I get a win under my belt and I’m top two, top three rankings and people want that fight.”

“Look who he’s fighting. He’s fighting guys who don’t really have punching power so it makes him a little more aggressive coming in. He’s fighting guys aggressive who he knows he can fight aggressively cause he knows they’re not scary. When he’s fighting guys who are scary he’s not going to fight the same way.”

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BOXING

Davis and Shields have had a public disagreement in the past, with Davis making derogatory comments about Shields

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Davis and Shields

Davis and Shields have had a public disagreement in the past, with Davis making derogatory comments about Shields’ appearance and Shields responding by calling him short and saying that he beats up women

Before and after his victory over Artem Harutyunyan this past weekend, Shakur Stevenson expressed great interest in fighting fellow lightweight world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

When asked over the weekend if Stevenson would be ready for that unification bout against “Tank,” Claressa Shields didn’t hold back at all.

“You cannot ask me is Shakur ready for ‘Tank'” and ‘Tank’ couldn’t make it to the Olympics,” Shields began telling FightHype.com. “Shakur went to the Olympics. So, of course Shakur is on the same level as ‘Tank.'”

Don't throw rocks and hide your hands" - Claressa Shields reacts to domestic violence allegations against Gervonta Davis

 

 

She added: “Now, they both are great fighters so let them fight and let them figure it out, but I’m always team Shakur and I’m gonna be team Shakur no matter who he fights against.”

Stevenson maintained that fans and critics will see the best version of him as his competition gets stiffer.

“I want to fight the best fighters in boxing,” Stevenson told ESPN after his latest victory. “That’s how you’re going to get to see the best version of me — when you put me in the ring with somebody else that wants to fight back and compete.”

In addition to Davis, Stevenson has also expressed the desire to fight Vasiliy Lomachenko, though he sounded as if he’s not holding his breath for either bout.

“If they don’t fight me, they don’t fight me,” he also told ESPN. “I’m just going to stay in the gym and stay ready.”

Davis, Lomachenko and Stevenson are three lightweight world champions with Denys Berinchyk being the fourth.

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BOXING

Claressa Shields said that Shakur Stevenson is the only boxer who can beat Gervonta Davis

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Shakur Stevenson

Gervonta Davis is one of the most ferocious champions in the sport of boxing having knocked out all but two of his 30 opponents.

Now WBA Lightweight World Champion, ‘Tank’ from Baltimore made his first defence of the belt with a knockout win over previously undefeated Frank Martin.

In his typical fashion of giving away a few rounds to lure his opponent in, the 29-year-old found his opportunity in the eighth to lay fellow southpaw Martin flat on his back.

He is one of four champions in the 135 ranks, joined by Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Denys Berinchyk.

Bob Arum Says Gervonta Davis-Shakur Stevenson "Only Ends One Way"

 

In an interview with The Only Kayla, two-weight undisputed champion Claressa Shields defended Stevenson for hitting back at criticism he has received due to his last two performances. In doing so, she named his as the only fighter who has a chance against Gervonta Davis.

“This boy got three-time division world champion, silver medal at the Olympics, one of the best fighters in the world right now. The only threat to Tank Davis right now is Shakur. And you just told this man he’s a s**t fighter. He spends every day in the gym trying to get better and be a great fighter. You can say that to him, but when he comes back to you and says something now you’re hurt and sad.

One of the most sought after fights in the sport, Davis-Stevenson became more realistic this week.

Gervonta Davis: Claressa Shields responds strongly to Gervonta Davis' personal attacks - "You can't keep a woman"

 

‘Tank’ was previously in early talks with another champion in Vasiliy Lomachenko but the Ukrainian has decided he is not currently motivated enough to take the fight.

That leaves the door open for Shakur, who recently became a free agent, to step in and negotiate the fight all boxing fans want to see.

”

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BOXING

Why Gervonta Davis: targeting alternative fight after Vasyl Lomachenko collapse

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Gervonta Davis

Gervonta Davis is moving on from Vasyl Lomachenko.

The pair were deep in negotiations to square off this year in a WBA and IBF lightweight world title unification clash.

It is understood that talks between Bob Arum’s Top Rank (who promote Lomachenko) and Al Haymon’s PBC (who represent Davis) were progressing well for a November fight date.

However, the Ukrainian slickster has opted to take some time out of boxing and won’t return to the ring until 2025.

Gervonta Davis Receives Approval To Travel To Paris And Join The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team

 

Davis’ team was understandably taken aback by Lomachenko’s response, who has always sought the biggest fights possible during his 21-fight (18-3) pro career.

But instead of sitting around and waiting for Loma, Davis’ co-trainer Kenny Ellis has indicated that they may target a fight with WBC champion Shakur Stevenson next.

Speaking to Mill City Boxing, he said: “He [Loma] is straight ducking… Hopefully, Shakur won’t duck.

“They keep saying that Tank is ducking Shakur, let’s see. Him and Lomachenko are the only ones left.”

Asked what Davis would do if a fight with Stevenson or Lomachenko can’t be made by next year, Ellis added: “It’s up to Tank and what he wants to do but he might retire.

“If he does I support that, whatever he does I’ll support it. If he said let’s get the next one, I’ll support it.”

 

This comes after Lomachenko’s manager told boxing reporter Steve Kim: “Loma is not in the mood right now.

 

“He doesn’t have the motivation at the moment. He’s taking off, he wants to spend more time with the family.

Gervonta Davis knocks out Ryan Garcia in seventh round | Boxing News | Al Jazeera

 

“He doesn’t want to do anything until the end of the year. So he’s definitely not coming to the ring until the end of the year…

“With Loma, just money is not what motivates him. He doesn’t take anything just because of money.

“You can offer him millions, tens of millions of dollars – if he doesn’t have motivation, he’s not ready to prepare for the fight.”

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BOXING

rank Bruno Reveals His Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Score: “He Won That Fight”

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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

Following a fascinating first encounter, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will renew their rivalries on December 21.

When these two heavyweight champions first met in May, it was the first time the undisputed title had been contested since Lennox Lewis won it almost a quarter of a century before.

In a close fight, both men had periods of success, though it was the Ukrainian southpaw who landed the standout blow of the battle and sent Fury spinning around the ropes to earn himself a knockdown.

After 12 rounds, he was awarded a split decision win to become the holder of all four major belts plus the Ring Magazine and lineal title, six years after doing the same down at cruiserweight, and 12 years after becoming an Olympic gold medalist.

Speaking to the Criminal Connection Podcast, former WBC heavyweight champion Frank Bruno was asked for his view on who won the fight and said he scored it in favour Usyk.

“Usyk won, I think. You can’t really deny that. You can try and go round the corners or whatever but Usyk won.”

Since the final bell, Usyk has admitted he made mistakes that will not be repeated in the rematch, while Fury has said he was having too much fun and next time will get the job done properly.

Former Fury victim Dillian Whyte has claimed it could be hard for ‘The Gyspy King’ to turn things around in the second fight given the toll previous battles may have taken him and mindful of the fact that Usyk’s confidence will be through the roof after winning the initial meeting.

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BOXING

Joe Rogan Makes Controversial Claim About Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou

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  • Joe Rogan delved into the possibility of the Ngannou vs Fury fight being fixed, but offered no concrete evidence, only speculation.
  • Rogan’s conversation with Rampage Jackson on the topic of fight fixes highlighted differing opinions on Tyson Fury’s strategy.
  • Francis Ngannou’s transition from the UFC to the PFL raises questions about his future fights and the potential for matchups with heavyweight fighters.

Joe Rogan has been the mouthpiece for the UFC since 1997. He started his podcast a little over 10 years later, which has been a longer format for fight fans to learn more about the MMA athletes they love and cherish. Rogan has been known to flesh out multiple scenarios for a single topic because of his three-hour-plus show. The UFC’s color commentator has an unrivaled eye when it comes to the sport. His passion and knowledge was a significant reason the sport became so popular in the early 2000s.

On a newly released episode, Rogan was joined by former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. “Rampage” has seen it all in the sport of MMA. Jackson was a prominent fighter for the Japanese-based MMA organization, PRIDE FC, where it has been heavily rumored that steroid use was rampant, with rumors of fixed fights, per Rampage.

 

Rogan And Jackson Talked About Fixes in Fighting

And discussed whether it’s possible the Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury fight was fixed

It should be noted that neither Rogan nor Rampage provided any evidence one way or another, and were merely speculating on the show. Rogan brought up the theory to Jackson that the Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury fight was fixed because of a future match-up with Oleksandr Usyk. It is unclear, though, whether he thinks it could have been pre-written and the fighters followed a script, or if the judges had their scores already sorted regardless of what the fighters did.

“He’s fighting one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time and drops him in the second round. … And then he beat him up in the eighth round too. I thought [Ngannou] won that fight, but, you know, they were setting up that Usyk fight. They were not gonna let [Ngannou win], it just seemed like the fix was in a little bit.”

Rogan continued: “It was close enough that they could pull it off. You could go, ‘Ok, maybe. Maybe you could see him winning that,’ but I don’t think so. I thought Francis won it. A lot of people thought Francis won it.”

A contrasting viewpoint to Rogan’s was brought up a few weeks ago during one of his fight companion shows, where Rogan argued with the comedian Bryan Callen, who was saying that Tyson Fury ‘carried’ Francis Ngannou much in the same way Floyd Mayweather let Conor McGregor gain some success before closing the show himself.

“He might’ve had incentive to keep that fight going. The idea that Tyson Fury didn’t have a bag of tricks, that he didn’t carry him. For me, it’s very strange for me. It’s very strange. I don’t know maybe he didn’t train at all.”

Rogan’s response to Callen:

“Shut the f*** up! … If he was carrying , all that s*** would’ve went out the window after he got dropped or rocked like that!”

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou’s Next Fight

MMA record: 17-3 (12 KOs, 4 SUBs), Boxing record: 0-2, Best win: Cyril Gane

Though Ngannou has banked around $30 million — if not more — in his two massive boxing bouts, there is still a fire inside to prove to gain the respect of those that have doubted him. In an unceremonious affair, Ngannou parted ways with the UFC after UFC 270 because of his strict contract that wouldn’t allow him to explore the sweet science. The Cameroonian heavyweight fighter landed with the PFL, but is yet to debut in the tier 2 MMA organization.

The ultimate hope for Ngannou’s future as a Mixed Martial Artist is that now that the UFC and Riyadh have officially started to collaborate (starting with UFC 306), that we could get the greatest UFC heavyweight fight of all-time in Ngannou versus Jon Jones (barring Jones getting past Stipe Miocic in November). Another possible fight for Ngannou, could be a return to the ring against another heavy-handed puncher in Deontay Wilder.

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BOXING

Joe Rogan’s Damning Verdict On Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury

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Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury
  • Joe Rogan believes Ngannou was cheated in Fury fight due to upcoming Usyk match – controversy ensues.
  • Despite losses, Ngannou’s paydays in boxing satisfactory to Rogan, with hope for PFL debut in the future.
  • Rogan asserts Ngannou’s presence crucial for PFL’s success, believes debut necessary for organization’s growth.

In the aftermath of Francis Ngannou’s much-anticipated boxing debut against Tyson Fury last October, controversy continues to surround the bout. UFC commentator Joe Rogan has now voiced his belief that the outcome was manipulated.

Although nine months have passed since the fight, the split decision loss for Ngannou remains a hot topic in the combat sports community. Many, including Rogan, assert that Ngannou was the true victor, especially after he knocked down Fury in the third round.

Joe Rogan Believes Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury Was Fixed

The UFC Commentator Believes Fury’s Undisputed Fight With Usyk Was Protected

Rogan speculated on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, that the result may have been skewed to protect Fury’s upcoming match against Oleksandr Usyk.

“I thought Francis won that fight. But they were setting up the Usyk fight. It just seemed like the fix was in a little bit. It was close enough that they could pull it off and you go, ‘Okay maybe, maybe you can see Fury winning that,’ but I don’t think so. I thought Francis won it, a lot of people thought Francis won it.”

Despite the loss, Ngannou’s performance earned him a spot in the boxing rankings and led to a subsequent bout against Anthony Joshua. Unfortunately for Ngannou, Joshua knocked him out in the second round of that fight.

Rogan expressed satisfaction that Ngannou secured significant paydays from his boxing endeavors, despite the setbacks.

Rogan expressed satisfaction that Ngannou secured a significant payday from the Tyson Fury fight, particularly since many, including Dana White, had dismissed its importance. Ngannou’s knockdown of Fury and perceived victory in the eyes of many led to another substantial payday against Joshua. While Rogan is pleased Ngannou made money, he wishes it had been earned in the UFC.

Joe Rogan Believes The PFL Needs Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou

Ngannou signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) last year but has yet to debut in the Smartcage. PFL chairman Donn Davis hopes Ngannou will fight this year. The PFL heavyweight champion, Renan Ferreira, earned his chance to welcome Ngannou to the promotion by defeating Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader earlier this year. However, a date for Ngannou’s PFL debut remains unset.

Rogan believes Ngannou’s involvement is crucial for the PFL’s success. “Right now, the only way an organization could benefit – like PFL signed Francis. That’s probably the only way that PFL’s gonna get people to pay attention. You have to have someone like Francis,” Rogan concluded.

It is yet to be seen how The Predator bounces back from a devastating loss to Anthony Joshua and the death of his son Kobe.

Ngannou will likely make his return in late 2024 for his PFL debut.

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