Two-division champion Gervonta Davis is yet to confirm his next opponent despite several reports of a title defense happening this summer.
The boxing scene went ablaze on Thursday into Friday when a second batch of rumors had Davis facing Frank Martin in June. World Boxing News believes the fight does have legs and is a legitimate possibility. However, Leonard Ellerbe denied giving anyone the satisfaction of breaking the news first.
Gervonta Davis denies fight confirmation
“Tank will announce who he’s fighting and him only,” stated Ellerbe, similar to when Floyd Mayweather used to ratify his bouts.
Davis facing ‘Ghost’ Martin would be a solid return for “Tank” after his legal troubles and a ten-month absence from the sport. He had an ankle bracelet stopping him from training removed earlier this month, allowing him to begin a proper camp.
Therefore, putting camp dates together without trying to second-guess Davis and his team, the WBA lightweight champion by default, will probably return by late May or early June.
Martin, who is 18-0 with 12 stoppages, has a growing reputation but will be seen as fodder for Davis to get back on the horse. Davis last fought in April when stopping Ryan Garcia and needs an opponent to knock over so he can return to a massive Pay Per View in the fall.
Not to say Davis vs Martin won’t be PPV, but a more prominent name foe in the ilk of Shakur Stevenson or Teofimo Lopez should be the order of the day for pound-for-pound star. Gone are the days when Tank could avoid the more significant names, as his reputation on social media – a platform he and Ellerbe detest despite frequenting – wanes badly.
Face a champion
The running joke on most platforms where trolls hide in the shadows has Davis as a cherry-picking fighter in the same mold as Mayweather. Floyd didn’t care about this moniker. He repeatedly proved it inside the ring.
Despite several stellar performances, Davis has to do the same and start facing world champions.
Mayweather defeated over twenty during his five-weight multi-championship run. At 29, Davis has beaten six, and Martin will not add to that if confirmed.
Fans want any of the lightweight stars or a super lightweight test for Davis as soon as possible, with Devin Haney the number one choice. Stevenson, Lopez, Josh Taylor, Subriel Matias, or Haney [if he defeats Garcia] would be sufficient for Davis to avoid another ducking accusation.
Once Davis makes it official, Martin will have to suffice for now.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
