Comments Thread For: Mayweather: Russell Solid Opponent For Tank, But He's Not At 130

[THEFRESHBRAWLER]

That is a mismatch. Gervonta Davis would steamroll past Gary Russell, Jr. He is too small and lack both the size and power to keep Tank off of him.

that’s all the usual suspect will say once he beats him. Theyll just say Russell is a featherweight. They allsaid Floyd was scared of Canelo weeks before the fight was signed. Then they said he was too young after he got beat lol

[TreJac]

Tank vs Gamboa is next! All this other talk about Farmer & Russell Jr is smoke and mirrors! They will try to sell a Gamboa fight knowing it's a face of a fight.

[Bronx2245]

GERVONTA DAVIS: THE PATH TO TRUE STARDOM
by Paul Magno

Undefeated WBA super featherweight world champ Gervonta “Tank” Davis is without doubt one of the most gifted fighters in the sport of boxing. His combination of speed, power, balance, and ring instincts is unique in boxing and it’s scary to think that, at age 24, he’s not even in his full physical prime yet.

What he isn’t, though, is a superstar.

Forget what promoter Floyd Mayweather says about Davis being a pay-per-view star. He’s not. Compared to some of the big fish in the sport, he’s merely a blip on the radar.

Part of the problem is simply the fact that he’s a 130 lb. fighter in the United States. American fight fans don’t generally pay much attention to smaller-weight fighters and only begrudgingly acknowledge their greatness after a large body of work is there that forces them to do so. But even when acknowledging greatness in smaller fighters, they don’t tend to support them all that much financially. Bouts featuring lighter-weight fighters simply don’t move the needle when it comes to ratings and bottom-line money generation.

Davis has the raw ability to be the exception to this reality, however—if his team makes the right moves and he maintains his professional focus.

This past Saturday’s homecoming bout in Baltimore was a great first step in building to next-level stardom. A jam-packed and loud Royal Farms Arena turned a relative nothing of a fight against Panamanian mandatory challenger Ricardo Nunez into an event. Raucous, enthusiastic crowds will make Davis fights all the more electric and create the image of Davis being a true star in the sport.

The next step is opposition.

Nobody’s going to become a superstar fighting the Ricardo Nunezs and Francisco Fonsecas of the boxing world. Victories over Jesus Cuellar, Jose Pedraza, and Cristobal Cruz were nice and necessary, but, again, hardly star-making.

The problem with finding bankable, “name” opposition is that, at 130 lbs., there’s just not much there.

A title unification with IBF champ Tevin Farmer would be interesting, but Farmer is not a bankable name. Neither is WBC titlist Miguel Berchelt or WBA “regular” champ Andrew Cancio or WBO title holder Jamel Herring. All would be decent fights and respectable challenges—and unifying belts would be an excellent public relations move for Team Davis—but none are the “names” he needs to cross over to next-level success. Plus, in terms of resolving business conflicts in order to actually make these fights, they may be too much hassle for too little return.

Davis’ “names” will likely have to come from featherweight imports and fellow Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) fighters like Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jr., or Abner Mares (who was scheduled to face Davis this past February, but had to withdraw due to suffering a detached retina).

From there, the decision will be to either try and unify or move up in weight, where he may have his greatest chance at grasping at immediate superstardom.

Fighting (and beating) pound-for-pound darling Vasiliy Lomachenko at lightweight would be worth more to Davis’ bankability than wins over Santa Cruz, Mares, and Russell—combined. The critics would have to step aside, the doubters would have to quiet themselves, and anyone talking high-end, elite-level boxing would be forced to include Davis’ name alongside Saul Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and the three or four other names generally regarded as the best of the best.

The road to a Lomachenko bout would be long and treacherous. Given the business realities involved with Lomachenko being a prize possession of promoter Bob Arum and ESPN and Davis being tied to Mayweather Promotions and PBC, negotiations would be treacherous to the point of being nearly impossible. Davis and Mayweather would have to come in humble and willing to make many concessions to get this opportunity, but there’d be no greater or quicker path to where they want to go than through Lomachenko.

Can Gervonta Davis do all this and, perhaps more importantly, refrain from self-destructing via outside-the-ring distractions? He can—and he certainly is not lacking in ability to get anywhere he wants to go—but all signs point to his star having a very real ceiling to it

http://www.fighthype.com/news/article39194.html

Tank's priorities should be LSC, GRJ, then Farmer! Tank vs. Farmer would be lit at the Barclay's, but the PPV would flop! Tank vs. LSC in LA would be much better for PPV, and lastly, Tank vs. GRJ would be perfect for the DMV, but again, the PPV would probably suck!

[TreJac]

So much for being on the same side of the street.

That's only directed at Crawford!

[champion4ever]

that’s all the usual suspect will say once he beats him. Theyll just say Russell is a featherweight. They allsaid Floyd was scared of Canelo weeks before the fight was signed. Then they said he was too young after he got beat lol

Really? You like Russell's chances against Davis? That's very interesting. I know for one that Gary has the speed advantage over Gervonta.

[Bronx2245]

Sorry Floyd, but that was weak! GRJ is a much better opponent than 37-yr. old Yurokis Gamboa! So is LSC! If you can't make the Farmer fight, then GRJ or LSC are way better options! IF YOU WANT A PPV, LEO SANTA CRUZ IS THE BEST OPTION OF THEM ALL!

[Bronx2245]

DiBella: Davis-Farmer 'Meaningful Possibility' For Late 2019
January 10, 2019

A grudge match of 130-pound southpaws between Baltimore’s WBA “super” champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis and IBF counterpart Tevin Farmer is “probably inevitable” and “a meaningful possibility” for 2019, Farmer’s promoter, Lou DiBella told Tha Boxing Voice during a Tuesday podcast hosted by Nestor Gibbs, Ronald Goodall, Michael Gross and Mario Mungia.

“You could probably see a Gervonta Davis fight [with Farmer.] I think it’s probably inevitable,” said DiBella. “If it happens in 2019 it will be late in the year. It won’t be early because of Tevin’s contract with DAZN. But late in the year, it’s certainly a meaningful possibility.”

https://www.boxingscene.com/dibella-...e-2019--135269

Someone is going to cut Tevin Farmer a nice check! Either DAZN or Mayweathyer, but Tevin is going to get paid!

[THEFRESHBRAWLER]

Really? You like Russell's chances against Davis? That's very interesting. I know for one that Gary has the speed advantage over Gervonta.

No I’m saying when Davis beats him the usual suspects will just say Russell is a featherweight (despite them asking for the fight) and won’t give Tank any credit. They do that to all black fighters.

[lightsoutrome]

So Floyd and Al Haymon are okay with dragging up other fighter's from lower weight classes Abner Mares to fight Davis but they won't do the same with Russell??? 🤔🤔
That says it all! That confirms what PBC really stands for,....
PBC=Protecting Black Cowards

I agree with you about PBC protecting fights but did you have to go the racist route? You piece of trash

[champion4ever]

No I’m saying when Davis beats him the usual suspects will just say Russell is a featherweight (despite them asking for the fight) and won’t give Tank any credit. They do that to all black fighters.

Ok, I get what you are saying