TANK DAVIS TANKS 12/14 PPV || FIGHTHYPE.COM

A lot to my skilled detriment, I’ve by no means been one to toe an organization line. My “facet” in any boxing challenge has all the time been the facet I see as the reality. And, typically, that pisses individuals off. Truly, it pisses lots of people off fairly often.

At any time when I get a message or electronic mail from somebody telling me how a lot they love my work and even how they’re my no. 1 fan, I do know it’s in all probability solely a matter of time earlier than they begin hurling offended insults at me and pledging to by no means learn me once more. This has occurred means too incessantly throughout my profession and absolutely far more usually than it occurs to the BWAA massive photographs who get all the large gigs, however generate all the eagerness of an article in Crochet World journal.

After I first began writing, I used to be identified by many as a “Floyd Mayweather man” as a result of I appeared to be on his “facet” throughout that point. He WAS unjustly criticized and judged by a biased institution media brimming with double requirements. However once I began criticizing sure Mayweather issues, the Mayweather individuals wrote me off.

Like I mentioned, this has occurred lots. No one, apparently, desires their sacred cows touched.

Nicely, there are not any sacred cows for me once I’m on the job.

So, okay, now let’s discuss Gervonta “Tank” Davis. 

I’m a fan. I like to look at him combat. I like HOW he fights. I like the concept that he’s an actual, respectable grassroots-grown attraction, possibly the one star of his variety on this present US boxing scene.

However I’ve to say that I took the announcement that Tank could be preventing Lamont Roach on December 14 nearly in addition to I took my constructive COVID check two days earlier than I used to be set to go to Vegas. 

As I wrote over at my different gig (www.boxingnews.co):

“Roach is an efficient fighter, however he’s solely an acceptable opponent for Tank Davis if he’s the stay-busy, quiet down combat between true top-tier light-weight/junior welterweight opposition. Thus far, the largest win on Roach’s resume was his shut, WBA tremendous featherweight title-winning effort versus former Davis fall man, Hector Luis Garcia final November. The 29-year-old’s different greatest combat was a 2019 unanimous determination loss to Jamel Herring in a bid for Herring’s WBO tremendous featherweight title.”

Apart from Roach’s aggressive worthiness for Tank, there’s the stone chilly reality that he simply doesn’t have the type of star presence one would anticipate from a respectable pay-per-view B-side preventing somebody who many argue is the “Face of Boxing.”

“Face of Boxing” or not, Davis is unquestionably one of many prime three of 4 faces of boxing and, legitimately, the American “Face” of US boxing in the intervening time. And, as such, everybody involves anticipate Davis versus one other star.

You don’t see the AAA minor league baseball champion Omaha Storm Chasers fast-tracked to a World Sequence berth. If we’re treating pay-per-view foremost occasions because the elite reveals they’re purported to be, then we shouldn’t see a relatively unknown coming from a ProBoxTV card right into a combat for which followers are being requested to pay 80 bucks (or extra). 

Sorry. We are able to kinda, sorta overlook questions concerning the extent of opposition, as lots of Tank’s fights are, technically, towards fellow champions or highly-ranked opposition. And, as I mentioned, Roach is an efficient fighter. However we shouldn’t overlook the truth that Tank is, once more, preventing somebody who NOBODY has been clamoring to see as a pay-per-view rival– as he has carried out in each one among his pay-per-view reveals since he grew to become a PPV headliner, aside from the Ryan Garcia combat.

Additionally from BoxingNews.co:

“Some will argue that Davis is entitled to this specific ‘meh’ headliner. They’ll level to Vasiliy Lomachenko (in)famously passing on a proposed Tank combat as a result of he wasn’t “within the temper.” They’ll then level to Shakur Stevenson, Davis’ different rumored big-fight opponent, transferring on to Matchroom Boxing and, because of this, away from a Davis conflict.

Admittedly, eradicating Lomachenko and Stevenson from the listing of attainable opponents drastically diminishes big-fight choices for the three-division world champ. However there ought to be a “no gimme,” no “who’s that man?” rule for all prime stars competing at Davis’ degree, particularly contemplating that fighters solely compete a few times a 12 months lately…and particularly, ESPECIALLY contemplating that Davis and his individuals intend on slapping an enormous pay-per-view price ticket on the present.”

Followers deserve higher than the promise of one more virtuoso efficiency. And, yeah, Tank Davis deserves a much bigger, higher showcase for his distinctive expertise.

Acquired one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com