At any given time, Gervonta Davis could have simply folded. His upbringing, a well-documented struggle as both of his parents grappled with drug addiction, Davis was forced to grow up quickly. In addition to his family issues, Davis was surrounded by the doom and gloom atmosphere of Baltimore, Maryland.

Throughout it all, however, Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) refused to be taken off track. As a youngster, Davis spent plenty of time in foster care and group homes, resulting in countless brawls in his neighborhood. As a juvenile, Davis was eventually introduced to the sport of boxing. And, as he matured, he shied away from the cold streets that helped raise him and spent numerous hours working on his craft with trainer Calvin Ford sticking right by his side.

Eventually, Davis’ hard work paid off. In just a few years' time, the 28-year-old has aggregated world titles in three separate weight classes and has emerged as one of the most popular fighters around.

Benign outside of the ring but ruthless inside of it, Davis’ star power is on the verge of climbing to new heights should he take care of business this Saturday night. At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Davis will attempt to separate Ryan Garcia from his consciousness.

With their showdown viewed as essentially a 50/50 affair, Davis believes that he’s put in the necessary work needed to be successful. Ultimately, regardless of the outcome of Saturday night's showdown, Davis is well aware that while his popularity may soar, he won’t be a fan favorite to everyone.

Still, despite drawing the ire of certain individuals, Davis demands his respect from everyone around the boxing globe.  

“You gotta salute me,” said Davis during a recent episode of All Access. “Even if you don’t like me, you have to.”