Gervonta Davis’ power is scary.
His fast hands and skill have made him a frightening proposition, with nobody yet to beat him. He has also won 28 of his 30 fights via knockout and once turned one former world champion’s legs to jelly and made him quit in front of the great Floyd Mayweather.
As a teenager, Davis was an unstoppable force as he accumulated stoppage after stoppage.
JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk mandatory farce continues as final showdown opens up
The man known as Tank was also incredibly active as he fought six times in 2013, his first year as a professional.
His career then received a tremendous boost just two years later when Mayweather, widely considered to be one of the best in the modern era with a 50-0 record, took him under his wing.
Once he became a member of Mayweather Promotions, the spotlight intensified and the challenges in the ring became increasingly difficult for Davis.
One of those came in the form of former IBF featherweight world champion Cristobal Cruz in 2015.
At 38 years old, Cruz was evidently past his prime.
But it takes serious boxing IQ and nous to become a world champion and the Mexican felt he could call on all of his experience against the fearless Davis.
Unfortunately for Cruz, experience counted for little when Davis came firing with his lethal arsenal of punches.
In fact, the former champion was knocked down by the soon-to-be challenger with 50 seconds remaining in the first round.
Davis fired a powerful straight left that sent Cruz back into the ropes and onto the canvas, though was able to beat the count and continue.
Cruz ate several thudding shots from Davis in the second round, but there was little he could do when ‘Tank’ cranked up the power in the third.
The Mexican over-reached when he threw a jab midway through the third round and Davis’ eyes lit up.
Davis fired off a short left hand that rocked Cruz, so much so that he held his hands up and curled up on the floor.
Remarkably, Cruz beat the count and got to his feet.
However, when asked to walk to his left, the referee deemed he was unable to continue and subsequently waved off the fight.
Cruz was disappointed at the referee’s decision, but given the damage Davis had dished out within three rounds, a stoppage seemed inevitable.
Mayweather sat ringside for Davis’ three-round beatdown and went into the ring to celebrate his then-protege’s victory.
Since then he has become one of the lightweight division’s best fighters, holding on to the WBA belt since winning it in 2023. He is also a two-time super featherweight king, with notable wins over Leo Santa Cruz, Jose Pedraza and Mario Barrios.
Fast forward to today and Davis is preparing to defend his WBA strap against Lamont Roach in New York. However, the relationship between him and Mayweather is non-existent.
The pair amicably split in 2022 when Davis decided to leave Mayweather Promotions, but have engaged in a war of words since.
Their latest verbal spat came when Mayweather suggested fans should watch a UFC event instead of Davis’ fight against Frank Martin.
Davis responded by calling Mayweather a ‘bitter b****’ and mocked the news his right-hand man Leonard Ellerbe had stepped down from his role as CEO of Mayweather Promotions.
In the end, Martin was left sprawled on the canvas to pave the way for the Roach fight.
Many want to see him fight Shakur Stevenson after that in what could be Davis’ biggest fight since destroying Ryan Garcia in 2023.
