Gervonta Davis KOs Frank Martin in 8th Round of Boxing Fight to Retain WBA Title

Doric SamJune 16, 2024

Set Number: X164350 TK1

Gervonta “Tank” Davis made his triumphant return on Saturday, defeating Frank Martin with a vicious eighth-round knockout in the main event of PBC Fight Night to retain his WBA lightweight title.

Premier Boxing Champions @premierboxingTHE RETURN OF TANK DAVIS ‼️🦍🌪️ #TankMartin pic.twitter.com/GqaDDFNxd0

Saturday’s fight ended a 14-month layoff for Davis, who is now 30-0 with 28 KOs and last competed against Ryan Garcia in April 2023. He is the first boxer to defeat Martin, who fell to 18-1 (12 KOs).

The momentum Davis had from his seventh-round knockout victory over Garcia immediately came to a halt when a judge ruled that he violated the terms of his house arrest and had to serve a 44-day sentence in a Baltimore jail. He was released on July 14, though he remained on three years’ probation and had to serve 200 hours of community service.

While he was out of the ring, Davis remained relevant by trading barbs online with some of the top fighters in the game like Shakur Stevenson, Errol Spence Jr. and even his former promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

However, the self-proclaimed “face of boxing” proved that he’s still one of the best in the world with his performance against Martin on Saturday.

Fans are certainly hoping they won’t have to wait another 14 months to see Davis back in the ring. Following his victory, the 29-year-old has a slew of options in front of him.

Matchups against Stevenson, Devin Haney or Vasiliy Lomachenko would surely test Davis’ skills and satisfy the appetite of fans hungry for big fights. A rematch with Garcia would also be on the table following his upset win over Haney earlier this year.

It all makes for an intriguing future for Davis as he continues to get back on track following his lengthy layoff.