Gervonta Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gervonta Davis |
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Davis in 2024
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| Real name | Gervonta Bryant Davis | ||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Tank | ||||||||||
| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in | ||||||||||
| Reach | 67+1/2 in | ||||||||||
| Born | November 7, 1994 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Stance | Southpaw | ||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||
| Total fights | 30 | ||||||||||
| Wins | 30 | ||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 28 | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gervonta Bryant Davis (/dʒərˈvɒnteɪ/ jər-VON-tay; born November 7, 1994), often called "Tank", is a famous American professional boxer. He is known for his powerful punches and impressive knockout wins. Gervonta has won many world titles in different weight classes.
Since 2023, he has been the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion. Before that, he held the WBA lightweight title from 2019 to 2023. He also won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight title in 2017. He held the WBA super featherweight title twice and the WBA super lightweight title in 2021. Many boxing experts consider him one of the best boxers in the world.
Contents
- Early Life and Beginnings
- Amateur Boxing Career
- Professional Boxing Journey
- Personal Life
- Professional Boxing Record
- Pay-Per-View Fights
Early Life and Beginnings
Gervonta Davis grew up in West Baltimore, Maryland. He went to Digital Harbor High School but left to focus on his boxing career. Later, he earned his high school diploma through a special program.
He started training at the Upton Boxing Center when he was just five years old. His coach, Calvin Ford, was even the inspiration for a character in a TV show called The Wire.
Amateur Boxing Career
Gervonta had a very successful amateur career. He won many national championships. In 2012, he won the National Golden Gloves Championship. He also won three National Silver Gloves Championships from 2006 to 2008.
He earned two gold medals at the National Junior Olympics. He also won two National Police Athletic League Championships. Plus, he won two Ringside World Championships. Gervonta finished his amateur career with an amazing record of 221 wins and only 5 losses.
Professional Boxing Journey
Starting His Professional Career
Gervonta Davis began his professional boxing career at 18 years old. His first fight was on February 22, 2013. He won that fight by knockout (KO) in the very first round. By August 2014, he had won all 8 of his fights by knockout.
In October 2014, he fought Germán Meraz and won by a unanimous decision. This was the first time he fought for six rounds. In 2015, he continued his winning streak. He became the first boxer to stop Israel Suarez. He also won against Alberto Mora and Recky Dulay.
Becoming a Champion
Winning the IBF Super Featherweight Title
On January 14, 2017, Gervonta Davis fought for his first major title. He challenged the undefeated José Pedraza for the IBF super featherweight title. Davis won the fight by knockout in the seventh round. After his win, his promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jr., called him the future of boxing.
First Title Defense Against Liam Walsh
Gervonta traveled to London, England, for his first title defense. He fought Liam Walsh on May 20, 2017. Davis won the fight by knockout in the third round. He successfully kept his IBF title.
Losing the IBF Title
On August 26, 2017, Davis was set to defend his IBF title against Francisco Fonseca. However, Gervonta weighed in over the limit for the fight. Because of this, he was stripped of his IBF title. Even though he lost the title, he still fought Fonseca and won by knockout in the eighth round. The title then became vacant.
Winning the WBA Super Featherweight Title
On April 21, 2018, Gervonta Davis fought Jesús Cuellar for the vacant WBA (Super) super featherweight title. Davis knocked out Cuellar in the third round. This win made him a two-time world champion.
Defending His WBA Title
In February 2019, Davis was scheduled to fight Abner Mares. But Mares got injured, so Davis fought Hugo Ruiz instead. Davis won that fight by knockout in the first round.
On July 27, 2019, Gervonta defended his WBA title in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. He defeated Ricardo Núñez by technical knockout in the second round. This was a special moment for him and his city.
Becoming Lightweight Champion
Winning the WBA Lightweight Title
On December 28, 2019, Davis fought Yuriorkis Gamboa for the vacant WBA (Regular) lightweight title. It was a tough fight, but Davis won by technical knockout in the twelfth round. This made him a champion in a third weight class.
Big Fight Against Leo Santa Cruz
On October 31, 2020, Gervonta Davis had a big fight against Léo Santa Cruz. Davis moved back down to super featherweight for this fight. He won by a stunning knockout in the sixth round. This knockout was so impressive that it was named The Ring Magazine Knockout of The Year for 2020.
Moving Up to Super Lightweight
Challenging Mario Barrios
On June 26, 2021, Davis moved up to the super lightweight division. He faced Mario Barrios for the WBA (Regular) super lightweight title. Davis won the fight by technical knockout in the eleventh round. This made him a champion in yet another weight class.
Back to Lightweight
Facing Isaac Cruz
On December 5, 2021, Davis fought Isaac Cruz. This was a very close fight that went all 12 rounds. Davis won by a unanimous decision. Cruz was only the second boxer to go the full distance with Davis.
Rematch with Rolando Romero
On May 28, 2022, Davis defended his WBA lightweight title against Rolando Romero. Davis won the fight by technical knockout in the sixth round.
Victory Over Héctor García
On January 7, 2023, Gervonta Davis fought Héctor García. Davis won the fight when García's corner stopped the fight in the eighth round. García was having trouble with his eyesight.
Catchweight Showdown
Davis vs. Ryan Garcia
One of Gervonta's most anticipated fights was against Ryan Garcia on April 22, 2023. This was a special "catchweight" bout, meaning they agreed to a weight that was not a standard division limit. Davis won the fight by knockout in the seventh round with a powerful body punch. This was a huge win for Gervonta.
Current WBA Lightweight Champion
On November 29, 2023, Gervonta Davis became the main WBA lightweight champion. This happened after Devin Haney gave up his title to move to a different weight class.
Defending Against Frank Martin
Davis defended his WBA lightweight title against Frank Martin on June 15, 2024. Davis won the fight by knockout in the eighth round, keeping his title.
Upcoming Fight with Lamont Roach Jr.
Gervonta Davis is scheduled to defend his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York.
Personal Life
On December 24, 2023, Gervonta Davis converted to Islam. He adopted the Muslim name Abdul Wahid.
Professional Boxing Record
| 30 fights | 30 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 28 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Win | 30–0 | Frank Martin | KO | 8 (12), 1:29 | Jun 15, 2024 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA lightweight title |
| 29 | Win | 29–0 | Ryan Garcia | KO | 7 (12), 1:44 | Apr 22, 2023 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 28–0 | Héctor García | TKO | 9 (12), 0:13 | Jan 7, 2023 | Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C., U.S. | Retained WBA (Regular) lightweight title |
| 27 | Win | 27–0 | Rolando Romero | TKO | 6 (12), 2:39 | May 28, 2022 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained WBA (Regular) lightweight title |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | Isaac Cruz | UD | 12 | Dec 5, 2021 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California | Retained WBA (Regular) lightweight title |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Mario Barrios | TKO | 11 (12), 2:13 | Jun 26, 2021 | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Won WBA (Regular) super lightweight title |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Léo Santa Cruz | KO | 6 (12), 2:40 | Oct 31, 2020 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | Retained WBA (Regular) lightweight title; Won WBA (Super) super featherweight title |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Yuriorkis Gamboa | TKO | 12 (12), 1:17 | Dec 28, 2019 | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | Won vacant WBA (Regular) lightweight title |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Ricardo Núñez | TKO | 2 (12), 1:33 | Jul 27, 2019 | Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super) super featherweight title |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Hugo Ruiz | KO | 1 (12), 2:59 | Feb 9, 2019 | Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super) super featherweight title |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Jesús Cuellar | KO | 3 (12), 2:45 | Apr 21, 2018 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won vacant WBA (Super) super featherweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Francisco Fonseca | KO | 8 (12), 0:39 | Aug 26, 2017 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | IBF super featherweight title at stake only for Fonseca after Davis missed weight |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Liam Walsh | KO | 3 (12), 2:11 | May 20, 2017 | Copper Box Arena, London, England | Retained IBF super featherweight title |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | José Pedraza | TKO | 7 (12), 2:36 | Jan 14, 2017 | Barclays Center, New York City, U.S. | Won IBF super featherweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Mario Antonio Macias | KO | 1 (8), 0:41 | Jun 3, 2016 | Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Guillermo Avila | TKO | 6 (10), 0:29 | Apr 1, 2016 | D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Luis Sanchez | KO | 9 (10), 2:05 | Dec 18, 2015 | Pearl Concert Theater, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Cristóbal Cruz | TKO | 3 (8), 1:31 | Oct 30, 2015 | The Venue at UCF, Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Recky Dulay | TKO | 1 (6), 1:34 | Sep 12, 2015 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Alberto Mora | TKO | 1 (8), 1:14 | May 22, 2015 | The Claridge Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Israel Suarez | KO | 1 (6), 0:47 | Feb 20, 2015 | Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Germán Meraz | UD | 6 | Oct 8, 2014 | Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Hector Lopez | KO | 1 (4), 1:16 | Aug 1, 2014 | Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Joshua Arocho | RTD | 2 (4), 3:00 | May 16, 2014 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | James Franks | TKO | 2 (6), 2:29 | Dec 14, 2013 | Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Eric Jamar Goodall | TKO | 4 (4), 1:55 | Oct 17, 2013 | ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Rafael Casias | TKO | 2 (6), 2:26 | Jul 20, 2013 | Physical Education Complex, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Jonathan Gears | KO | 1 (4), 1:36 | Jun 8, 2013 | Echostage, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Jacob Ninow | TKO | 2 (4), 2:04 | Apr 20, 2013 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Desi Williams | KO | 1 (4), 1:29 | Feb 22, 2013 | D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Pay-Per-View Fights
Gervonta Davis has been a part of many popular pay-per-view boxing events. These events allow fans to pay to watch his fights. Here's a look at some of his big pay-per-view matches:
| No. | Date | Fight | Buys | Network | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Davis vs. Santa Cruz | 225,000 | Showtime | $16,872,750 |
| 2 |
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Davis vs. Barrios | 210,000 | Showtime | $15,747,900 |
| 3 |
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Davis vs. Cruz | 200,000 | Showtime | $14,990,000 |
| 4 |
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Davis vs. Romero | 275,000 | Showtime | $20,622,250 |
| 5 |
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Davis vs. H García | 220,000 | Showtime | $16,497,800 |
| 6 |
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Davis vs. R Garcia | 1,200,000 | Showtime/DAZN | $87,000,000 |
| 7 |
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Davis vs. Martin | 350,000 | Amazon Prime Video | $26,232,500 |
| Total sales | 2,680,000 | $197,963,200 | |||
