Gervonta Davis has been out of the ring since his victory over Ryan Garcia in April last year. Despite initial expectations last year that he would face Devin Haney next, particularly after Haney’s recent victory against Regis Prograis, the proposed fight eventually fell through. This was because Haney had just moved up to 140 lbs and had no intention of returning to a lower weight for the significant bout. The question arises: why didn’t Davis move up to face Haney instead?
This was the question even Haney had at the time when had pointed out that ‘Tank’ Davis had defeated Mario Barrios previously at 140 lbs. However, it appears that the much-desired fight may never end up happening for now. Why? Here’s what Davis’ trainer Calvin Ford had to say regarding the matter.
Gervonta Davis struggled to make weight against Mario Barrios
It appears that Gervonta Davis may finally be making his return to the ring after almost a year. His previous fight was against Ryan Garcia, which took place at a lightweight (135 lbs). However, his trainer, Calvin Ford, believes moving up to the super lightweight limit could be a challenge for him.
In an interview he did with ‘Hardcoreboxingnews’ a few weeks ago, Calvin Ford pointed out that Davis had previously “sparred guys in the gym at 165.” But he also acknowledged, “It’s different, Tank was hitting guys with 16-ounce gloves on.”
Even though he is confident that Davis can “pull it off”, he is also worried about other issues. He added, “There’s definitely be some damage and hydrating back up at that weight.” Moreover, he pointed out, “That’s why you have weight classes for reasons.” Addressing Tank’s fight with Barrios, he revealed, “You got to look at his last fight and then his last fight. He struggled to make 140. That’s keeping real.”
Thus, Ford doesn’t believe that it would be advisable for Davis to push himself and potentially cause harm to his body. In the meantime, here’s what Garcia thinks of Gervonta Davis’ power in retrospect of the previous bout.
Does “Tank” really pack a punch?
Ryan Garcia recently dismissed the much-hyped punching power of his former rival Gervonta Davis. He will face Devin Haney in April, marking his first fight since defeating Oscar Duarte in December. This victory was crucial for Garcia following his first career loss to Davis.
Their highly anticipated Las Vegas clash, the biggest pay-per-view of 2023, ended with Davis knocking Garcia down twice before securing a stoppage win in the seventh-round KO. However, Garcia believes Davis’ power is overstated, attributing his success to precise punching rather than raw strength.
“He can’t hit that hard, I’m telling you,” Garcia told Jack Alter, “It’s his accuracy. The punches you don’t see are the ones that hurt you, not the ones you do see.” He continued, “There are some people that even if you see it, that sh*t hurts. He’s not like that. He’s what he is. He’s an accurate sniper. He’s a sniper.”
What do you think about Garcia’s claims against Davis’ prowess? Do you agree with him or not? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.
