Gervonta “Tank” Davis started slow but finished with a bang, delivering a vicious knockout to finish Frank Martin in emphatic fashion.
A 15-month layoff clearly affected the undefeated fighter, as Davis didn’t put forth a whole lot of effort early, which allowed Martin to take a lead on the scorecards. But it was all part of his game plan, as Davis waited for Martin to finally slow down and then began trapping his opponent against the ropes and in the corner, unloading his biggest punches.
The end came after Martin backed up to the corner and Davis blasted him with a huge uppercut that stunned the Detroit native. A split second later, Davis unloaded another brutal left hand that put Martin down on the canvas with no chance of making the 10 count.
The left hook gets it done - #Tank KOs #Martin in the 8th round.#TankMartin on https://t.co/op5b8eTm95 pic.twitter.com/iXgH68OjZ8
— PPV.COM (@ppv_com) June 16, 2024
With another knockout win on his résumé, Davis climbed to the top rope and flipped backward down to the ring again as he celebrated his victory, which followed his devastating finish against Ryan Garcia back in April 2023.
“I’m back,” Davis said afterward. “A couple rounds, I felt like I didn’t warm up completely like I wanted to. It’s OK, no excuses. His footwork wasn’t bothering me. I knew he was going to tire down.
“I was just standing there, being a target for him just so he could tire himself out. Once he tired himself out, I started picking him apart.”
Davis’ assessment is pretty spot on with how the fight actually played out.
The early rounds really came down to Martin staying more active, throwing more punches, but not really doing a lot of damage as Davis appeared resigned to just move around the ring with him. Activity helped Martin win on the scorecards, although he didn’t hurt Davis with any of his punches.
To his credit, Martin did clip Davis with a shot that caused significant swelling on the right side of his face, but “Tank” just kept marching forward with no fear at what was coming back at him.
By the fifth round, Davis not only woke up but became much more active with his offense as he started coming after Martin with huge, powerful punches. As Martin slowed, he also made the cardinal mistake of repeatedly backing himself into the corner, which allowed Davis to really tee off on him with blistering combinations.
Just as if he was chopping down a tree, Davis showed patience by chipping away at Martin and looking for the best possible opening to put him to sleep for the night.
That final slumber came in the eighth round as Davis came out head-hunting with bad intentions behind every shot. Davis backed Martin into the corner yet again, and that’s where he unloaded the left uppercut that snapped Martin’s opponent’s head back, leaving him dazed and confused.
The next left hand ended Martin’s night, with Davis scoring his 28th knockout out of 30 career fights.
The win moves Davis to 30-0 in his career, but more importantly it sets him up for even bigger and better opportunities with names like Vasyl Lomachenko and Shakur Stevenson potentially awaiting him next.
For now, Davis just wants to keep getting better, and he anxiously awaits his chance to fight anyone and everyone thrown in his path.
“Most importantly, I want to get back to the drawing board,” Davis said. “Get back in the gym and stay focused. I felt that I was a little rusty, but all them guys is on my radar.”
