A lot to my skilled detriment, I’ve by no means been one to toe an organization line. My “facet” in any boxing situation has all the time been the facet I see as the reality. And, typically, that pisses folks off. Really, it pisses lots of people off fairly often.
Each time I get a message or e-mail from somebody telling me how a lot they love my work and even how they’re my no. 1 fan, I do know it’s in all probability solely a matter of time earlier than they begin hurling indignant insults at me and pledging to by no means learn me once more. This has occurred approach too incessantly throughout my profession and certainly far more typically than it occurs to the BWAA massive photographs who get all the large gigs, however generate all the fervour of an article in Crochet World journal.
After I first began writing, I used to be identified by many as a “Floyd Mayweather man” as a result of I gave the impression to be on his “facet” throughout that point. He WAS unjustly criticized and judged by a biased institution media brimming with double requirements. However after I began criticizing sure Mayweather issues, the Mayweather folks wrote me off.
Like I stated, this has occurred so much. No one, apparently, needs their sacred cows touched.
Properly, there aren’t any sacred cows for me after I’m on the job.
So, okay, now let’s speak about Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
I’m a fan. I really like to look at him combat. I really like HOW he fights. I really like the concept that he’s an actual, respectable grassroots-grown attraction, possibly the one star of his sort on this present US boxing scene.
However I’ve to say that I took the announcement that Tank can be combating Lamont Roach on December 14 virtually in addition to I took my optimistic COVID take a look at two days earlier than I used to be set to go to Vegas.
As I wrote over at my different gig (www.boxingnews.co):
“Roach is an efficient fighter, however he’s solely an acceptable opponent for Tank Davis if he’s the stay-busy, calm down combat between true top-tier light-weight/junior welterweight opposition. Up to now, the most important win on Roach’s resume was his shut, WBA tremendous featherweight title-winning effort versus former Davis fall man, Hector Luis Garcia final November. The 29-year-old’s different largest combat was a 2019 unanimous determination loss to Jamel Herring in a bid for Herring’s WBO tremendous featherweight title.”
Other than Roach’s aggressive worthiness for Tank, there’s the stone chilly reality that he simply doesn’t have the type of star presence one would count on from a respectable pay-per-view B-side combating somebody who many argue is the “Face of Boxing.”
“Face of Boxing” or not, Davis is unquestionably one of many high three of 4 faces of boxing and, legitimately, the American “Face” of US boxing in the intervening time. And, as such, everybody involves count on Davis versus one other star.
You don’t see the AAA minor league baseball champion Omaha Storm Chasers fast-tracked to a World Sequence berth. If we’re treating pay-per-view most important occasions because the elite reveals they’re speculated to be, then we shouldn’t see a relatively unknown coming from a ProBoxTV card right into a combat for which followers are being requested to pay 80 bucks (or extra).
Sorry. We are able to kinda, sorta overlook questions concerning the extent of opposition, as lots of Tank’s fights are, technically, towards fellow champions or highly-ranked opposition. And, as I stated, Roach is an efficient fighter. However we shouldn’t overlook the truth that Tank is, once more, combating somebody who NOBODY has been clamoring to see as a pay-per-view rival– as he has carried out in each one in every of his pay-per-view reveals since he grew to become a PPV headliner, aside from the Ryan Garcia combat.
Additionally from BoxingNews.co:
“Some will argue that Davis is entitled to this explicit ‘meh’ headliner. They’ll level to Vasiliy Lomachenko (in)famously passing on a proposed Tank combat as a result of he wasn’t “within the temper.” They’ll then level to Shakur Stevenson, Davis’ different rumored big-fight opponent, shifting on to Matchroom Boxing and, consequently, away from a Davis conflict.
Admittedly, eradicating Lomachenko and Stevenson from the checklist of attainable opponents drastically diminishes big-fight choices for the three-division world champ. However there needs to be a “no gimme,” no “who’s that man?” rule for all high stars competing at Davis’ stage, particularly contemplating that fighters solely compete a couple of times a yr lately…and particularly, ESPECIALLY contemplating that Davis and his folks intend on slapping an enormous pay-per-view price ticket on the present.”
Followers deserve higher than the promise of one more virtuoso efficiency. And, yeah, Tank Davis deserves an even bigger, higher showcase for his distinctive expertise.
Obtained one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
