“I got Calvin tattooed on me. Calvin ain’t going nowhere… Calvin is pops, he ain’t going anywhere,” Gervonta Davis said six weeks before the Lamont Roach fight. Well, guess what? Calvin Ford was not in Tank’s corner this time and the 30-year-old perhaps paid a huge price by having the first non-victory fight in his career. While Tank believed to have Ford by his side on March 1, the veteran coach had his own reasons to not coach Davis for this particular fight.

You see, for long, fans were used to the familiar sight of Calvin Ford and Kenny Ellis. It was like Mike Tyson and Cus D’Amato. And if you compare recent examples, ‘Canelo’ and Eddy Reynoso or even Pacquiao-Roach for that matter. That’s how the triumvirate of Gervonta Davis, Calvin Ford, and Kenny Ellis resonated with fans. But watching Barry Hunter accompanying Davis was not the sight fans wanted to have.

One wonders what might have caused the rejig. Speaking with Fight Hub TV, Calvin Ford shed some light on the matter. Davis fought his second PBC-Amazon Prime Video PPV card. And apart from the headliner, the show at the Barclays features a slew of exciting fights, including two light welterweight title clashes.

I’m still part of it, just from a different perspective!

Like many, Ford anticipates a good fight and seeing how Davis’ training translates into the ring. With ‘Tank’ coming from Baltimore and Roach from D.C., he recalled the duo sparring a lot in the gym. He respected Roach’s work ethic and felt that it was a great opportunity for him. Maybe people are misreading the situation. “We ain’t change up anything,” he said. He’d just taken a step back, but the training structure remained the same. The reporter made it clear that they’re not implying a breakup or a falling out between Ford and Gervonta Davis. They just wanted to know whether the temporary separation made their bond stronger – like when family members spend time apart and then appreciate each other more when they reunite.

“No, he came to see me dead slow down and worrying about you because boom, he knows that I spend time with my amateurs. You know me; both of y’all know me very well. I spend time with my amateurs all the time; that’s my peace,” replied coach Ford. Even though he wasn’t directly training ‘Tank,’ knowing where he was and that he was training, gave him a sense of reassurance.

He acknowledged that being away from Davis allowed them both to appreciate their bond. When he returned to the gym, Ford could tell the lightweight champion missed him, just like he missed the latter.

Top Comment by mario vigil

I’m not sure what that was all about but I think that could’ve been the reason why things didn’t seem...more

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Team Gervonta Davis holds strong

A similar kind of reassurance came from Barry Hunter too. “Calvin will be there, Coach Barry will be there, Coach Boogie will be there, and Kenny will be there as well,” he said during an interview. While Calvin Ford and Kenny Ellis won’t be in ‘Tank’s corner, he and other coaches will still be there. Implying it’s not a major issue, Hunter wanted to remind us that this isn’t the first time changes in ‘Tank’s corner occurred.

Hunter had been involved with ‘Tank’ since his amateur days and early career. He is not new to ‘Tank’s team. Like Ford, he also noted that the internet often spreads misinformation, and people make assumptions without knowing the full story. He emphasized that ‘Tank’ is like family.

So fans can stay assured that it looks like a temporary shake-up that may revert back to the old format when Gervonta Davis returns after a few months.

Which is your favorite boxer-trainer pair of all time?