LAS VEGAS – By the time the eighth round arrived, the sight from the “tank” had been fixed on his target. Armanon was lowered and Gervonta “Tank” Davis fired a howitzer with his left hand, which at that point ended Frank “The Ghost” Martin’s challenge.
The devastating climactic knockout to close out Saturday’s fight was a fitting addition to every headliner, including some of the great stoppages the historic MGM Grand Garden Arena has seen in 100 nights of championship fighting.
Davis putting together a waste for Martin would fit brutally alongside the wonderful finishes these four walls witnessed: George Foreman equalizing Michael Moorer, Ricky Hatton flattened by Manny Pacquiao and Pacquaio buried by Juan Manel Marquez.
Davis retained his WBA lightweight title at the 1:29 mark of the deciding round, but by then the writing was on the wall.
This is what 13,249 saw.
As Martin awaited his fate in the ring and the entrance music, the place quieted with anticipation.
The “Ghostbusters” theme segued into OTR CHAZ’s “Nun 2 Me,” which had Davis in the ring, and the crowd went wild – and not for the last time. (Davis’ coach Calvin Ford wore a black T-shirt with a shiny Ghostbusters motif on the back.)
It was a far cry from the collective groans around the MGM lobby on Tuesday, when Davis dodged his large arrival to kick off the promotion. But the Baltimore Banger’s eventual arrival at the MGM Grand for Wednesday’s press conference was like a grenade of excitement thrown into the historic site as the fight and all around them waited for an explosion.
Davis didn’t just get rid of 14 months of inaction and frustration. He replied. He reported bad promotion, hence his no show on Tuesday. He had done some house arrest time last year, then went to prison for failing to adhere to the rules.
He said he learned his lesson, but lost ground and lost momentum.
Davis has not lost the popularity and intrigue that surrounds his fights. He was handed an ear-splitting ovation as he grooved his way to the ring. Fans eagerly awaited the detonation they paid for, hoping to see fellow southpaw Martin improve Davis’ stats to 30-0 with 28 KOs.
In the third, Martin bit his feint and Davis chuckled. He tried to make Martin flinch at the press conference, but he only got antagonized Martin to release something inside him. Not so here, where the danger was all too real.
Martin carried his right arm high, clearly wary of the danger posed by Davis’ left arm. The challenger would step forward exploratively and timidly, like a crab peering out of its shell to check if there’s danger.
Martin-left-left drew surprise from the crowd, and the militants exchanged verbal exchanges for bells.
It was warming up at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Due to the feed tank, every time he swung and missed, the Las Vegas audience was largely high-flying and celebrities AND .
The stars were out for Davis from the worlds of boxing, football and music. Davis became an item on boxing’s sizzling ticket. In the crowd were musicians 2 Chainz, Saweetie, Lil Jon, Cardi B and Flavor Flav, film producer Gavin Maloof, business mogul Mark Davis, football players Micah Parsons, Jayden Daniels, Ceedee Lamb, Davante Adams, NBA Stars including Damian Lillard and Stephen Jackson, and a host of fighters from James Toney to Andy Ruiz and Rafael Ruelas to Librado Andrade.
Martin, trained by Derrick James and promoted by Errol Spence Jr. Man Down Promotions,
Moreover, there should have been concern when Davis came out with a swagger in the fifth, low hands, attacking from distance and having some triumphs.
Importantly, the champion was not frustrated when Martin grabbed him, forcing referee Harvey Dock to intervene and break them up.
Davis landed a crisp left hook, right hook. The strikes were technically impressive and brutally effective.
Davis became increasingly successful, and while the difference could be put down to speed and skill, the main gap was power. It was tank against BB gun and increasingly ominous that as they circled past, Davis looked more relaxed each time.
Martin’s level of awareness and concentration did not deviate – it could not afford to – but it seemed that only one fighter was there enjoying himself. One of them was at work, one was in the game.
When Martin was caught in the corner in the sixth (a sight that became common), Davis thundered in his left hand, tracked Martin to another corner and homered a couple more. Davis also decided to move on some of the top spots in Martin’s midfield.
From the seventh, Davis began to close out the program. He stopped the challenger with a right hand, slammed Martin with a left and continued to work the body before moving up to finish his combinations.
Martin defiantly spat back, but he was being outgunned. He struggled against the ropes as the crowd grew louder and louder, sensing the build to climax.
It was a blast for Martin. His chances of survival decreased. His chances of victory could no longer be estimated.
There were more gulps from the crowd as Davis effortlessly got both hands in to start the eighth and trapped Martin in the corner again.
Then, to echo Jim Lampley’s celebrated words when he worked for HBO and pulled off George Foreman’s miraculous turnaround against Michael Moorener to capture the world heavyweight title at the age of 45: “It happened.”
The tank slammed domestic brutality and violence with both hands, and a clinical left hand spun Martin around in his boots.
Martin, behind 67-66 on all three cards at the time of the stoppage, crashed onto his back while looking at the historic MGM lights, and referee Harvey Dock waved it off.
For just a split second, it looked like Martin might be trying to gather something that had dragged himself back to his feet, but the Spirit left the “ghost” and remained on the canvas.
The roof went up on the green fight palace at the foot of the Las Vegas strip, and the roar of the crowd became even louder as Davis almost immediately climbed to the top rope and brooded backwards to the Earth. The finish also checked the fighters’ bitter argument over what happened during a sparring session between them a few years ago.
In what direction is the tank rolling now? Venerable foe Ryan Garcia was on the ring apron to congratulate Davis, but his fighting future hangs in the balance after two positive tests for PEDs following his April 20 fight with Devin Haney.
More likely, veteran Ukrainian maestro Vasiliy Lomachenko, the IBF champion.
“For sure, for sure,” Davis said when confronted about the prospect of a Lomachenko fight. “I’m ready to fight them all.… My prediction [for Loma]? Baptism time.
Lomachenko, of course, is one of the best fighters of the newfangled generation, a defensive genius and someone who is excruciatingly challenging to locate in viewfinder views.
But tonight Davis’s “ghost” disappeared.
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