By Alan Dawson
LAS VEGAS — Ever since a kick-off press conference on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia fight week in Las Vegas last month, Gervonta Davis has been determined to show the world what he sees as Frank Martin’s many weaknesses.
Back in May, at a particularly fiery media event Boxing News attended at the MGM Grand, ‘Tank’ Davis pointed a stiff finger at Martin and yelled, for all to hear: “You don’t like body shots!”
He then pulled out his cell, and made Martin watch alleged sparring footage involving the both of them.
Davis, seemingly, wanted to give the impression to the media that it was a clip in which one can see how vulnerable Martin is when receiving punishing blows to the midsection. That’s, at least, how Martin sees it.
“He didn’t show me nothing,” he told Boxing News and other reporters after a workout at the Pound For Pound gym in Las Vegas last week. “He made it out to the media like he was showing me footage of us sparring.
“But the video in his phone that he showed wasn’t us throwing punches, it was more, like, wrestling. Not exchanging blows. None of that.”
Martin said if the footage showed any weaknesses, then the media “would have seen it” already. “He just wanted to put it out there like it was something,” the 29-year-old told us. “That’s who he is. He’s trying to convince y’all.”
Fast forward five days and Davis is up to the same old tricks as he went through a list of things that, he thinks, makes Martin weak.
This included things like: how he looked scared at Wednesday’s press conference at the MGM Grand; how he has “fake” foot movement; and that he’s a mediocre opponent. Davis even berated Martin for being from “the suburbs.”
“When he came up there [on stage], he was shaking,” said Davis. “He was shaking a little bit. He was talking a little tough yesterday, but today he’s shaking up there, talking.”
Davis, also 29, continued to belittle Martin. “What are you bringing to the table that I haven’t seen?”
Things got more animated 30 minutes into the presser when Martin provided his version of their infamous sparring session, and said: “He got clipped, grabbed, and his legs shook.”
Davis raised his voice, and almost leaped out of his chair. “You did not clip me!” He protested. “You caught me with a good shot.
“You don’t even hit that hard, bro! I’m going to break you up! I promise you,” he said, before rocking up to Martin’s side of the stage, as if to intimidate him.
Martin, who kept his composure compared to Davis, finished: “[The fight] can go down however he want it to. If he come in, and act up, you’ll see him get knocked out. Power, this and that … if he coming in to act crazy, he’s going to sleep.”
On Saturday, Davis will have the opportunity to show to the world what he’s been talking about publicly for the last month — that Martin is scared, vulnerable to body shots, and has questionable footwork.
The pair headline a Premier Boxing Champions event on Prime Video, and PPV.com, after a chief support fight at light heavyweight between David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
