Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather have had a turbulent relationship.
Boxing legend Mayweather guided ‘Tank’ during the majority of his career, as Davis won world titles in multiple weight divisions and became widely regarded as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport.
The two then parted ways in 2022, and things have seemingly turned hostile since then, with both men having fired insults in the opposite direction in the years that have followed.
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Davis has now revealed that his former mentor Mayweather once put him in a fight where he wanted ‘Tank’ to lose, explaining to The Jay Hill Podcast how things transpired.
“I’ve been in situations where I was in a lose-lose situation and came out still on top. He [Mayweather] put me in to make me lose and thought I would lose. A boxing match. Jose Pedraza. My first world title. I was 16-0 and I was 21 at the time and I hadn’t fought in seven, eight months.
Around that time I wasn’t making that much. Maybe around 10,000 a fight. Six months is crazy to not fight. When they came back and said you’ve got to fight this fighter Pedraza, If you don’t fight him you’re not fighting and sitting on the shelf.
I had to fight him, in the midst of all that happening, I got evicted, I had to sell my jewellery.
For sure [Floyd did that intentionally].”
Davis fought Pedraza back in January 2017, winning the fight by seventh round stoppage to capture the IBF super-featherweight title and become world champion for the first time.
‘Tank’ returns to action in March when he defends his WBA lightweight crown against Lamont Roach, but another recently crowned world champion is already calling to face Davis next.
