Gervonta Davis seals brutal knockout of Frank Martin to take his unbeaten record to 30-0… before celebrating at ringside in Vegas with Ryan Garcia
- Gervonta Davis hadn’t fought since beating Ryan Garcia in Vegas last April
- The 29-year-old showed early signs of rust before imposing himself on Martin
- Davis has said he would be willing to fight Garcia, but at 140 pounds
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis retained his title and extended his undefeated record with a devastating eighth-round knockout of Frank Martin on Saturday night.
The Americans faced off at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with an expectant crowd eager to see an end to an unbeaten run.
Their prayers were brutally answered when Davis – who initially fought a competitive Martin – connected with a left uppercut before ending the fight with a crushing hook.
“I was a little rusty, but it’s okay. I’m back,” Davis said after the fight, reflecting on his year-plus absence from the ring since beating Ryan Garcia last April.
‘I feel like I’m not quite warming up like I wanted to. Well, I did warm up, but I got cold when the fight was going on for me, but it’s okay. No excuses.’
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (right) retained his title after a brutal knockout of Frank Martin
‘[Martin’s] I wasn’t bothered by footwork,” the 29-year-old added. “I knew he was going to get tired, so I did that. I’d just stand there, be a target for him so he could tire himself out, and once he tires himself out, I’ll just take him apart.
‘I’ve been there for a long time. I’ve been training since I was seven and competing since I was eight. So it’s second nature. It’s about staying focused, making sure my mind is on the goal, and that’s always to come out on top.”
Davis was seen having a rather jovial conversation with his most recent fighter, Garcia, who had taken a ringside seat after the fight concluded.
The enigmatic, often controversial California native wore a shirt with the words “rematch me b*tch” on the back. Garcia’s only loss in his professional career was against Davis.
He has since rebuilt his career with a victory over Oscar Duarte, before scoring his stunning victory against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. Their interaction has revived speculation that a rematch could be on the cards.
Last month, Davis revealed that he would be open to fighting Garcia again, but he called for the fight to be at 140 pounds – a weight that Garcia was unable to make in his victory over Haney.
Davis was coming off a layoff of more than a year, having not fought since defeating Ryan Garcia (left) last April
Davis was made aware of his intentions after taking his record to 30-0 on Saturday night and was asked if players like Vasiliy Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson or Isaac Cruz were in his sights.
“The biggest thing is I just want to get back to the drawing board, get back in the gym and just stay focused,” he said. “I thought it was a little rusty, but all those guys are on my radar.”