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Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis made a triumphant return to the ring after more than a year away, dominating Frank Martin and knocking him out at 1:29 of the eighth round Saturday night to retain the WBA lightweight championship.

Davis delivered a right and two lefts to Martin’s face to send the Indianapolis resident to the canvas for his first career loss after he won his first 18 fights. Tank again proved to be one of boxing’s most ferocious punchers, improving to 30-0 – all but two by knockout.

This fight further solidified Davis, a Baltimore native and resident, as one of his sport’s top pound-for-pound boxers.

Gervonta Davis

That bout between 29-year-olds headlined the 100th championship fight night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which has been supplanted by T-Mobile Arena as Las Vegas’ prime spot for combat sports. To mark the occasion, four title fights took place, including the interim WBC light heavyweight championship that David Benavidez won by unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

But there was no doubt who the main attractions were on this night, and that was clear at Wednesday’s press conference. Davis and Martin bantered back and forth during the Wednesday news conference. Then when the two boxers did the traditional poses afterward, Davis pretended to take a swing at Martin. Martin flinched and Davis left the podium laughing.

This was Davis’ first fight since 22 April 2023, when he delivered a devastating left uppercut that handed Ryan Garcia a seventh-round knockout at T-Mobile Arena.

The 421-day layoff showed early as Martin won two of the first three rounds, including a right that caught Davis in the face.

That seemed to wake up Davis, who then took over the fight by repeatedly sending Martin into ropes and corners. Davis appeared ready to finish off Martin with several hard blows in the sixth round, bringing the pro-Tank crowd of 13,239 to its feet.

Gervonta Davis

Benavidez (29-0) made a successful debut in his move up from super middleweight. The Las Vegas resident defeated Gvozdyk (20-2), a Ukraine native who trains in Oxnard, California, by scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.

Alberto Puello (23-0) of the Dominican Republic won the WBC interim super lightweight championship with a split decision over Gary Russell (17-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Two judges gave Puello the victory with scores of 115-112 and 114-113 and another had it for Russell 118-109.

Dominican middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1) retained his WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha (24-4-1) of Encino, California. Two judges scored the fight 118-110 and the other had it 119-109.

Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was among those in attendance. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and coach Antonio Pierce and owner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders also were in the crowd.

Tiger Woods will not be playing the weekend at this week’s Open Championship, in the aftermath admitted it will be a long while before he returns to action

Tiger Woods has announced he will be taking a break from competitive golf after enduring a tough week at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Woods’ championship ended prematurely on Friday, finishing at 14-over-par through 36-holes, missing the cut by some distance. Much had been said heading into the event about his future, with Colin Montgomerie suggesting it could well be time for the 48-year-old to call time on his career.

Tiger Woods

Woods however had other ideas, teeing it up at Royal Troon in his fifth start of 2024 having competed at the Genesis Invitational, as well as the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open.

On the back of a difficult week, the 15-time major champion confirmed in the aftermath that he would not be teeing it up on the PGA Tour until the Hero World Challenge in December. “I’m not going to play until then [the Hero World Challenge],” Woods said.

“I’m going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it.” The three-time Open champion also outlined his plans to once again play in the PNC Championship, where he will partner his son Charlie.

He added: “Hopefully just come back for our, what is it, our fifth major, the Father/Son [PNC Championship], so looking forward to it.” Many wondered whether this would be Woods’ last Open, having struggled to compete, whilst also offering a wave to the Troon galleries on his way off the 18th.

This was not an Open goodbye though, with Woods admitting afterwards that he has every intention of competing at Royal Portrush next year. Asked if he will be playing at the Northern Irish setup in 2025, he replied: “Next year’s Open? Yeah, definitely,” with a wide smile.

Tiger Woods

Having kicked off his championship with an eight-over 79 on Thursday, Woods left himself with plenty of work to do in round two, but once again struggled to find his best golf. A seven-over 78 followed on day two, with the testing Troon conditions proving all too much for the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

Assessing his Friday, Woods said: “Well it wasn’t very good. I made a double there at 2 right out of the hopper when I needed to go the other way. Just was fighting it pretty much all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.”

“Really glad to be at the same table as Novak to do it,” Carlos Alcaraz declared after his Wimbledon victory, joining the elite group that had won multiple slam titles in the same calendar year. Winning against the GOAT-in-waiting Novak Djokovic twice at the All England Tennis Club is indeed a work of art. But Carlitos has mastered it with his expertise in tennis by pulling back Djokovic from attaining his eighth title in London. It’s pretty neat, isn’t it? Roger Federer’s ex-coach, Ivan Ljubicic, is of a similar opinion too. Ljubicic’s take on Djokovic’s recent slump throws a wrench into the whole narrative.

With an extra layer of disadvantage working on his side, Djokovic, who came into the tournament after recovering from a torn meniscus surgery, faced a defeat at the hands of his 21-year-old opponent by 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4). Even he could not deny the formidable force of the four-time Grand Slam champion, Alcaraz. “He had it all today. I tried to push him, save the three match points, and extend the match a little bit but it wasn’t meant to be. He was an absolutely deserved winner today so congratulations to him,” Djokovic said after the match.

roger federer Novak Djokovic

 

 “I need everything he tells me from the box, and it’s really helpful to give my 100% on the court,” Alcaraz firmly stated about his coach earlier. Clearly, he knows his game quite well. However, such is not the case for Djokovic, who acted as a lone warrior to propel himself forward in the game. Speaking on this major difference in their approach, Federer’s ex-coach stated, “Carlos was unplayable. Novak lacked reaction. He never looked at his box. And it’s difficult to play against Carlos like that.”

The 37-year-old tennis player recently called it quits on working with his seven-year coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and temporarily joined hands with Boris Bosnjakovic at the French Open. However, the Serbian tennis star couldn’t get past the quarterfinals in the red clay event because of his knee injuries. Now his Wimbledon record is also not showing the best results. Naturally, apart from his lack of form, the question of the need for guidance to keep up his performance is not unusual.

But on the other side, Alcaraz is undeniably enjoying his best season this year, with two back-to-back grand slams in his bucket. In his clash against Djokovic, Alcaraz established a lead over him from the very start. He kept Djokovic guessing where the ball might hit, slowly closing in on him, with his amazing drop shots and powerful forehand strokes. When the game was at 6-2, 2-0, Djokovic could only acquire four points among his 14 approaches to the net.

Hinting at this intimidating challenge posed by Carlitos, Ljubicic alluded to the importance of guidance from the player’s box to fight back in this situation. Besides Alcaraz’s current coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has also shared his perspective after watching Djokovic’s gameplay at Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic

Ferrero criticized Djokovic’s form at Wimbledon

“Growth has to be there. We have to keep going. I think that now, at 21, you can’t stop growing,” said Ferrero, who has been guiding Alcaraz for over six years now. But when it came to describing his opponent’s performance, the former French Open champion expressed his surprise on the subject.

“I was a little surprised by Djokovic’s level today. I think he felt outclassed from the start. It was hard for him to keep up with Carlos’ pace and ball speed. It’s true that last year he was better, maybe this year, not being at 100%, it was a little harder for him,” he said.

July 14 (UPI) — Carlos Alcaraz’s felt-shredding forehands and ball-blurring serves forced uncharacteristic blunders from Novak Djokovic en route to his second-consecutive Wimbledon title Sunday in London.

The Spaniard unleashed 41 winners in the 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory — his first straight-sets win over Djokovic — at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. His Serbian foe, whose serve was broken just five times through the first six rounds of the tournament, was broken five more times in the finale.

 

“It’s a dream for me winning this trophy,” Alcaraz said on the ESPN broadcast. “It’s a great feeling to play on this beautiful court and win this amazing trophy.

“For me, this is the most beautiful tournament, the most beautiful court and the most beautiful trophy.”

Novak Djokovic

The victory denied Djokovic of a 25th singles title, which would have broken Margaret Court’s overall record for the most women’s or men’s Grand Slam crowns.

Alcaraz, who also beat Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon finale, earned his second-consecutive Grand Slam title — following the 2024 French Open — for the first time of his career.

“It was obviously not the result I wanted, especially the first couple of sets,” Djokovic said. “The level of tennis wasn’t up to par from my side, but credit to Carlos for really playing some amazing tennis, very complete tennis, from the back of the court, serve, I mean, he had it all today.

Can prime Floyd Mayweather beat Gervonta Davis? While an actual fight between them is never happening, this didn’t stop boxing commentator ShowBizz the Adult from pitting the former promoter boxer duo against each other in a fantasy clash! And boy, does a fight between them look spicy!

As many are well aware of, ‘Money’ Mayweather retired from the sport back in 2017 after a win against Conor McGregor in a crossover boxing match. In contrast, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis has just stepped into his prime years, having defeated Frank Martin in his last outing. But the question is, will Mayweather’s defense prove too much for ‘Tank’? Or will Davis’ destructive power tear through Mayweather’s defense?

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

Speaking about the subject in a clip he shared on his X account today, the boxing commentator suggested a fight between Floyd and Davis would be great at 135-pounds. However, from the beginning, he had the winner in his mind. He said, “But Ima tell you this though Floyd wins”.

While many would agree with ShowBizz, he goes on to emphasize Mayweather’s speed to justify his prediction. “Floyd got a great ass chin, Floyd is a killer, and he may be twice the speed of Tank. People forget how fast Floyd was”, said the boxing commentator. He goes as far as to compare Mayweather’s speed to one of boxing’s biggest legends.

“Floyd handspeed would rival Sugar Ray Leonard. Remember Pretty Boy, how he would be like his arms would be out here, and he will be just depending on his reflexes and Bam Bam”, said ShowBizz. Claiming to have thought about this fantasy matchup for a couple of weeks, ShowBizz the Adult doubled down on his prediction by repeating Floyd would win.

Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather is 47! Yes, he partakes in exhibition boxing matches every now and then, but none of his opponents are near the caliber of the boxer Davis is. Time and age come for every boxer and Mayweather is no different—it would be extremely unlikely for Mayweather to have retained his speed and power. Gervonta Davis would easily steamroll through the former five division champion.

And get this, even ‘Tank’ Davis’ coach feels the same way, as he challenged Floyd Mayweather for an actual fight against Davis!

Tyson Fury is not in the latest IBF heavyweight rankings and has been replaced by Bakhodir Jalolov.

The ‘Gypsy King’ recently lost the first fight of his career as he succumbed to a points defeat in his undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in May.

Following the loss of his WBC crown, Fury became a standard contender and so entered the rankings of the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO like any other fighter.

Now though, the IBF have removed the Briton from their latest heavyweight world rankings.

Usyk Is Too Small To Beat Elite Heavyweights, Says Tyson Fury

 

He has been replaced by heavyweight prospect Jalolov who sits in 13th.

But the reason for this makes sense – the IBF have no need to rank Fury given Usyk has vacated their title.

Fury is set to meet Usyk on December 21 in an immediate sequel, which will not involve the IBF.

Instead, only the WBA, WBC and WBO belts are at stake.

As he is challenging for those three instead, Fury has been removed from the rankings of the IBF.

However, Fury could yet become IBF champion again in future if he beats Usyk.

This is because it is being planned for the winner of Fury’s revenge bid against the Ukrainian to face the winner of Daniel Dubois’ IBF title defence against Anthony Joshua on September 21.

Dubois was upgraded to IBF world champion after Usyk vacated the belt, given he was the ‘interim’ title-holder.

Andy Ruiz 'Sure' Who Wins Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Rematch: "It Could Be  His Last Fight" - Seconds Out

 

So Joshua is now the leading ranked contender behind Dubois as he bids to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.

Agit Kabayel, Jared Anderson and Zhilei Zhang sit immediately behind Joshua in the rankings as they look to cement their name in the world title mix.

British pair Joe Joyce and Fabio Wardley sit in 10th and 12th respectively ahead of Jalolov, and it is an exciting time for the blue-riband division.

Fury has already began training for his chance to turn around his loss to ‘The Cat’.

And he has sent Usyk a video message already with months still to go until their next episode.

He said: “Listen up! I’ve conquered everything in boxing – titles, records, the lot. But I’ve never had to come back from a loss.

“On December 21st in Riyadh, in the heart of the kingdom, the king will reclaim his throne and become undisputed.

Davis is the WBA lightweight champion of the world and has won 30 pro fights.

Gervonta Davis could head to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as a representative of Team USA, although he will not be pulling the gloves on and stepping into the ring to compete for a gold medal in France.

The WBA lightweight champion of the world, who knocked out Ryan Garcia in April 2023, would link up with the United States’ cohort as an advisor with the aim of coaching them to Olympic glory in boxing.

Gervonta Davis

Given his status amongst the world’s best boxers,” Matt Johnson, of USA Boxing, wrote in a letter to a Baltimore Judge. “Mr. Davis would be a key asset in motivating and supporting our team to achieve Olympic greatness and become the number one nation in the world at this year’s Olympic Games.”

And the judge signed off on the request, permitting him to be in France from July 19-August 12, which had to be made due to conditions imposed on Davis for his role in a hit-and-run from 2020 within Baltimore.

Davis will be a useful asset to the team although he will quickly need to adjust to the differences from the professional and amateur scene, the Olympics being considered part of the latter. In the Games, fighters will compete for three rounds making the odds of a KO slim which is very different to the 12 rounds ‘Tank’ Davis is used to.

All the same, the wealth of experience from his 30 professional fights, the most recent of them on June 15, 2024, could be valuable and Davis is considered to be one of the best in the business pound-for-pound too.

GERVONTA "TANK

“Some that can punch, can’t box. He can box, he can punch,” Roy Jones Jr said of Davis to All The Smoke Fight. “He can move laterally, he can do it left side, right side.

“He’s the most deadly kind of guy in the world besides a Mike Tyson type guy in boxing.”

Who will Team USA send to the Olympics?

The United States of America has a very high reputation to maintain in the world of boxing when one thinks of fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Mike Tyson so they will be keen to get their hands on the Olympic gold medals again.

Although they’re throwing a curveball by sending a team of exclusive rookies to the events in France, like they did for the 2020 Tokyo Games, when they won three silvers in their best haul since 2004.

Here are the names of the four fighters Team USA will send to the men’s boxing championships in Paris this summer: Roscoe Hill, flyweight; Jahmal Harvey, featherweight; Omari Jones, welterweight; Joshua Edwards, super-heavyweight.

Baltimore’s well-known boxing figure Gervonta “Tank” Davis has gotten the nod to jet off to Paris, but his fists won’t be doing the talking this time around.

Taking on an advisory role, the champ will lend his heavyweight experience to Team USA’s hopefuls at the Paris Olympic Games.

WBAL-TV reports Davis, who’s been grappling with the conditions of his probation stemming from a 2020 hit-and-run, got the judicial thumbs-up for this transatlantic trip.

GERVONTA "TANK

Meanwhile, Team USA, featuring eight boxers set to make their Olympic debut, will soak up tactics from the Baltimore brawler – including Maryland’s own Jahmal Harvey.

Davis, 29, is slated to be in France from July 19th to August 12th, navigating his role in a boxing format that’s worlds apart from his usual knock-out-or-bust style, which, as per WBAL-TV, has no place in the amateur ring where every second counts and bouts are a brisk three rounds long.

Isaac Cruz catapulted his career from a middle-of-the-pack contender into a heralded commodity in 2021 when he came in as a late replacement opponent and gave knockout artist Gervonta Davis all he could handle in a close decision loss.

“Pitbull” proved that a fighter can evolve into a star even in defeat, and the performance led to four straight appearances as a co-featured attraction on pay-per-view cards, the most recent one in March being an eighth-round stoppage against Rolando Romero to capture his first world title.

Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) will be showcased again on a mega card when he defends his WBA junior welterweight title for the first time against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) on Aug. 3 as the co-main event to Riyadh Season’s debut event in the United States.

Gervonta Davis

The show will take place at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on DAZN, ESPN, and PPV.com. It will be headlined by the junior middleweight matchup between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov, along with a performance by rap star Eminem.

Just like Eminem is known for a hit list of cult classics, the 26-year-old Mexican fan favorite Cruz is quickly becoming known for his cult following.

“I’m really happy about how fans come to see me,” Cruz told BoxingScene. “My hard work and dedication have led me to where I am now, where the fandom in Los Angeles can feel that I am the people’s main event. I will continue to work hard, make sure I keep earning that and give the fans what they want on fight night.

“I give everything I have every day in training camp so I can perform at my peak every time I am in front of the fans. I leave my heart in the ring every time, and boxing fans see and feel it. That’s why they love me … Whether it is one round or 12 rounds, I will come prepared and make sure the fight is a spectacle.”

The 5-foot, 4-inch power-punching Cruz has been billed as the ”Mexican Mike Tyson” and pegged as the next great Mexican pay-per-view draw after Canelo Alvarez. Cruz said he’s ready to parlay “Pitbullmania” and start headlining his own PPV shows moving forward.

Gervonta Davis

“I feel that I have the right tools and capabilities, physically and mentally, to take on that responsibility if that’s what’s coming next for me,” said Cruz. “I think I’m ready for any challenge that comes in front of me. I don’t fear anyone.

“I trust my management team to decide what’s next for me.”

Cruz is signed to Manny Pacquiao’s promotional company. Lifelong boxing executive Sean Gibbons serves as Cruz’s manager, and Premier Boxing Champions head Al Haymon advises Cruz and has showcased him on PBC shows ever since the fighter made his United States debut in 2019.

Cruz’s wins against Thomas Mattice, Diego Magdaleno and Francisco Vargas set him up as a credible challenger to Davis. After going toe-to-toe with Tank, Cruz has since bested Yuriorkis Gamboa, Eduardo Ramirez, Giovanni Cabrera, and Romero.

“I don’t know if [Davis is] afraid or not to face me in a rematch, but what I do know, with the right training camp and right preparation, if I face Gervonta again, I can give him a big surprise,” said Cruz.

If Cruz beats the 25-year-old up-and-coming southpaw Valenzuela in front of what should be a significant Mexican crowd, roars for a rematch clash against Davis will only get louder.

Gervonta Davis

“Life is all about challenges,” said Cruz. “If Valenzuela feels like he can be a champion, he has to take challenges with the toughest guy out there. [Valenzuela] is one of the toughest guys out there, too, and that gives me a lot of respect. I’m welcoming the challenge. He’s a worthy opponent.”

Cruz’s master plan is to participate in title unification fights, with 140-pound belt holder Teofimo Lopez Jr. leading the bunch, and then resume his career once again as a lightweight.

“I want to stay at 140 pounds for my two-year plan, and I may go back down to 135 pounds. But for now, I am a 140-pounder,” said Cruz.

“I want to face the other three champions to unify the division. It all depends on who is up to the challenge. That’s what it will take for me to get to the next level and become the next supper PPV star.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.

Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko look to be heading towards an intriguing two-belt lightweight clash.

When Devin Haney vacated all four titles in the division Lomachenko picked up the vacant IBF strap with a win over George Kambosos Jr. ‘Tank’ Davis was automatically elevated by the WBA to Full Champion and sealed that status with an impressive knockout over previously-undefeated Frank Martin.

Gervonta Davis

All is now set for the unification, which has been confirmed as in talks by ‘Loma’s promoter Bob Arum.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, esteemed trainer Robert Garcia said his prediction would be very different five years ago.

“I think five or six years ago I would pick Lomachenko right away. Right now it might be too hard. I think at his age and his size, because he’s not that big of a lightweight, I think I have to favour Tank. His power is just unbelievable.”

Garcia – who currently trains pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez among others – praised the Ukrainian but ultimately couldn’t look by the extreme power of Davis which has put away 28 of 30 opponents so far.

“Loma’s got great skills man. Loma’s the one that will not be afraid of him. Loma’s the one that will be in great shape. If he knows how to win the first few rounds and then fights smart the rest of the fight then there’s a chance he could pull it off. He’s a very smart man, but I just think Tank’s power is too much.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

Loma’s so skilful, man, that he could do it for twelve rounds, but when you have someone like Tank in front of you, it’s not gonna be easy. It won’t be easy.”

Talks are set to continue for the 135 unification with a date pencilled in for November. The winner will be expected to move straight into another championship clash with Shakur Stevenson.

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