Andre Ward says that Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’ promoters at Mayweather Promotions have focused on putting him in money fights but NOT against the best fighters at 130, 135, and 140.
Ward says that the route that they’ve taken with Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) has kept him from being able to “prove he’s the best.”
As a result, Ward says Tank shouldn’t get mad if the boxing public doesn’t believe him when he says he’s the best.
This week, Vasily Lomachenko took a shot at Gervonta and Mayweather Promotions when asked if he’d like to fight him. Lomachenko told the media that Tank Davis is ONLY fighting against guys he knows he can beat on Showtime.
It’s unclear why Floyd Mayweather Jr. has chosen to match Tank the way he took risks from time to time during his career. But with Tank, we haven’t seen him take any risks, which makes you wonder why.
With Mayweather’s colossal fortune, he could afford to sign any top fighter in the sport, but he chooses not to for some reason.
Ward says Tank’s potential not realized
“I think he’s up there with all the top guys. You see enough of Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis to know that he can box,” said Andre Ward to Max On Boxing. “You can see the type of shots that he lands; he’s not just a puncher.
“He’s a skillful IQ puncher,” Ward said of Gervonta. “You don’t always see that. You typically see a guy one way. He’s a boxer or a puncher. Gervonta can do it all, but unfortunately, to this point, he’s good, but we don’t know how good.
“The route that he’s taken, it’s about the brand and about making money,” said Ward about Gervonta. “It’s not necessarily about facing the top 135 pounders or even the 130 pounders when he was as 130 or even the 140 pounders to see how good he is and to prove he’s the best.
“It’s not really about that for Mayweather and Davis, and you can’t really knock them for that. They’ve found their niche, they’re selling out arenas, and Mayweather’s co-sign doesn’t hurt that at all. He’s [Gervonta] is trying to become a pay-per-view star, but here’s where you got to stop him.
“You can do that and take that route and get your money because fighters typically don’t get their money, and they’re facing top competition and not being compensated. But you can’t say your the best and get mad if everybody doesn’t believe you.
“I’m the type of person just as many of us pundits are; you got to show me. This is a show-me sport. Prove that you’re the best. We see potential, but right now, that potential has not been fully realized,” said Ward.
Lomachenko says Tank is only fighting guys he can beat
“I always said I’m open for the fight, but you know boxing politics,” said Lomachenko on Thursday when asked about the possibility of fighting Gervonta Davis.
“Floyd Mayweather said every time, ‘We have our way and forget about us; we’re making money.’ They fight only on Showtime and with guys who they believe they can [defeat],” said Lomachenko.
You can tell from Lomachenko’s comments that he doesn’t think too much of Gervonta and his promoters at Mayweather Promotions.
Rather than focusing on fighting the best, Tank Davis and his promoters have aimed for less than the best in sure-thing wins over guys that have stood no chance against him.
As Ward points out, the careful match-making that’s been done for Tank Davis has been in place regardless of what division he’s competed in. We’ve seen him matched carefully at 130, 135, and 140.
It’s too bad because Tank would likely be a much bigger star now and making more money if he were tested against the best fighters like Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson, Oscar Valdez, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Josh Taylor.