Gevonta ‘Tank’ Davis has been vocal throughout 2023 about his belief that he has adopted the position as the ‘face’ of the sport following on from his blockbuster win over fellow pay-per-view superstar, Ryan Garcia.
His case was coupled with the supposed steady decline of former pound-for-pound number one, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Now, ‘Tank’ has doubled down on those claims, despite an improved display from Canelo over Jermell Charlo recently.
Alvarez has been widely regarded as the ‘face of boxing’ in recent years. However, disappointing performances against Dmitry Bivol, Gennadiy Golovkin and John Ryder appeared to open the door for a new poster boy. Davis’ win over Garcia convinced some fans that he had overtaken the Mexican in terms of superstardom, and he said so himself in his post-fight interview.
This weekend, fans witnessed a resurgence from Canelo, who comfortably outpointed undisputed super-welterweight champion, Jermell Charlo, without ever really looking to be in danger.
The performance, although dominant, extended his run to four fights without a knockout win and equalling the longest stoppage drought of his career since 2008.
After Alvarez’ win, Davis maintains that he is the ‘face of boxing’, responding to a fan on social media who claimed he was a ‘nobody’ outside of the lightweight division.
Many will claim that, for Davis to truly confirm his position, the 28-year-old power-puncher needs to hold a full world title.
Now, with Devin Haney potentially set to vacate all of his 135lbs belts, Davis’ WBA Regular title will either see him upgraded to become the true world champion or he will fight for the vacant title, perhaps against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, who he beat in 2021.
