Frank “The Ghost” Martin talks with that gravelly, slow tone, as if he were sitting on his front steps watching the world go by without a care. WBA lightweight titlist Gervonta “Tank” Davis is supposed to pound him on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, according to some in boxing, and Martin just laughs.
The undefeated Martin (18-0, 12 knockouts) is The Ring’s No. 5-ranked lightweight. Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) is No. 2, behind Vasiliy Lomachenko. Martin and Davis are both 29. They are both southpaws. They are both undefeated. The similarities end there. Davis has one-punch knockout power. Martin does not. Davis fought twice in 2023. Martin once. Martin is a volume puncher who is adept at working in the pocket, and stands 5-foot-8, while Davis likes to break down opponents from the outside and stands 5-foot-5½.
One other thing: No one thinks Martin can beat Davis.
Martin would give Godzilla a fight.
“It is why I laugh about how Tank is supposed to crush me,” Martin said. “I am going to show these people. It does not bother me. I did get a little angry at one of these press conferences about it. But I have learned to laugh more about it. I like the doubt and the doubters. They motivate me. I have grown mentally and physically from my last performance. There are certain things that happened prior to that performance, like the fight I turned down with Shakur (Stevenson), to this fight right here.
“I have blocked out all the noise. It is something that I have had to get used to, like ducking and being scared, all of that. That was foreign to me before. I had to learn to take that criticism. Shakur claimed I ducked him. I felt, no, I know I deserved more money against Shakur. I see Tank and I know I can expose certain things. He gets away with a lot of stuff against certain guys that he has faced. He will not be able to against me.”
Martin feels his quick reflexes and willingness to go inside without being hit cleanly could cause problems for Davis. Tank does tend to let his hands drop. He can be vulnerable in those lapses of time, and he can be countered when he reaches. Davis tends to bait opponents into entering his striking zone by sometimes letting his high guard down.
Will Martin fall prey to that? Can Martin take advantage of those breaches?
“I am not only a little different, but I am also a lot different than anyone Tank has faced before,” Martin vowed. “He will not be able to keep his hands down against me. The Tank that I have seen for years can be exposed.”
Martin does have one benefit other Davis’ opponents do not have: He tasted Davis’ power. The two once sparred each other as Davis was preparing to fight Leo Santa Cruz in October 2020.
“Where I was at that moment in boxing, I was still learning and I got in there against top of the top,” Martin said. “We are both different fighters than we were then. I am a tough dude. I have a chin on me. I am built to take a punch. I took his punch. I sparred with the guy, and everyone is forgetting on my punch. I have power, too. Tank is elusive, and explosive. But his punches when I faced him were single shots.
“His punches are more like the shock of them because they come, and they are fast. His shots come from random places. The saying is the punches that you don’t see are the punches that get you. He lands those type of shots. He has power, but nothing like ‘Damn, you better watch out.’ He has great timing. He knows where to place his punches. I have to mess with his rhythm.
“I feel good. I am healthy. I had no injuries through sparring. People are going to see the best of me. This is my biggest fight, I will admit that. I can’t let those lights be a blinder. Being on that stage, it is my moment, my time, those lights will bring the best out of me.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a Hall of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito
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