Gervonta Davis is already considered by some to be one of the best fighters of his era, but who does he look up to from days gone by?
The hard-hitting 29-year-old from Baltimore is undefeated in his campaign so far, scoring 27 stoppages from 29 wins spanning three divisions. With fights against other top dogs on the horizon and promised, he has the time to secure an impressive legacy.
Speaking to Bat Boys Baseball, ‘Tank’ named the three men he considers to be the sport’s greatest of all time.
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was an enigma inside and outside of the ropes, becoming one of the most influential and significant figures not just in boxing but the sporting world entire. The star of both the Thrilla in Manilla and The Rumble in the Jungle backed up his famous trash talk in the ring with nimble footwork and stinging shots thrown from all angles. He won the world heavyweight championship three times and successfully defended his belts 19 times.
Mike Tyson
It’s easy to see why ‘Tank’ Davis looks up to ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. The pair are unflappable in the build-up to big fights and intimidate opponents like not many others can. Tyson was known for his explosive power and peek-a-boo style with a 78% knockout-to-fight ratio. He has previously said that all he has in common with Davis is ‘trouble with the law’, but others feel many more comparisons can be made.
Floyd Mayweather
Despite an increasingly volatile relationship with Floyd Mayweather – his promoter and mentor for this first chapter of his career – ‘Tank’ still recognises the skills of the four-weight world champion. With some of the most impressive defensive skills the sport has ever seen, Mayweather became the biggest box office star in boxing on his journey to the famous 50-0 perfect record.
Davis returns to the ring this weekend to defend his WBA Lightweight World Title against fellow undefeated southpaw Frank Martin.
