Do you remember when Gervonta Davis was hailed as the pinnacle of boxing brilliance? Undefeated, unstoppable—he was the face of boxing. Even casual fans knew the WBA lightweight champion by name. His motivational reels on Instagram inspired millions. But today? Everything’s changed—all because of one fight against Lamont Roach Jr., and it gets even worse!

If you were living under a rock or had given up boxing for the last couple of weeks, ‘Tank’ or, more fittingly, his reputation, has turned into that of a ‘glass cannon.’ The Baltimore native took on what many assumed would be an easy fight against ‘The Reaper.’ Davis struggled to do anything against Roach Jr. despite being the overwhelming favorite.

In fact, Roach Jr.’s relentless pressure overshadowed his legendary power. The fight eventually came to a majority decision draw, muddying Davis’s pristine record. Even more interestingly, though, Davis decided to take a knee in the middle of the ninth round to wipe grease off his eyes, which should have been a knockdown, but was given a no-knockdown ruling by referee Steve Willis.

This caused an uproar among fans and experts, causing a major downturn in Gervonta Davis’s stocks. Despite an appeal from Roach Jr. and an investigation by the New York State Athletic, Willis’s decision was upheld. While Davis had saved himself from a potential loss, his reputation had taken a hit from which he might not recover. This must make you think it’s over, and what else could go wrong?

The answer is, a lot! Over a week since the fight, The Ring, owned by GEA chairman Turki Alalshikh/Riyadh Season, has updated their pound-for-pound rankings – and guess who got booted? Ding! Ding!

Our very own WBA lightweight champion, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. The 30-year-old was on the 8th spot before his fight against Roach Jr.

However, now, he is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, The Ring brought ‘Interim’ WBA light heavyweight champion David Benavidez into the list at number 10th spot. And, of course, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev have swapped spots on the 4th and 5th in the rankings, but other than that, everything is the same. 

However, it’s not all bad for the 30-year-old. While he has earned many critics, some remain loyal to his potential.

Tim Bradley defends Gervonta Davis after the Lamont Roach Jr. fight

Timothy Bradley has come to Gervonta Davis’ defense following his highly controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. Bradley argues that Davis simply had an off night against a tough opponent. “Tank is not overrated, or anything like that. I know a lot of people are saying that,” he told BoxingScene.

Instead of blaming Davis, Bradley credited Roach’s unexpected aggression. 

“Roach became the puncher! It was so interesting.” Davis himself reportedly feels disappointed with his performance, with Bradley suggesting, “I think that Tank feels that he let himself down.” Regardless of whether it was a bad night or not, a rematch is the obvious next step for both fighters. While Davis needs to earn his reputation back, Roach Jr. has to prove it wasn’t just a fluke. 

Having said that, Gervonta Davis continues to take hits even though Lamont Roach Jr. stopped punching days ago. Whether the setbacks are deserved is for you to decide, and we would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.