The sheer thought of Gervonta Davis considering retirement in his prime might have soured the taste for many. But the contemplation has yet to overshadow the excitement surrounding a ‘Tank’ fight. As one of boxing’s biggest draws, Davis remains a bankable figure in the sport. However, given the kind of reactions his recent training footage attracted, one can’t be blamed for turning skeptical about such notions.

The WBA lightweight champion returns on March 1 for a faceoff against Lamont Roach Jr. The title defense follows his eighth-round knockout win over Frank Martin on June 15 last year. Though originally scheduled for December 14, the matchup was subsequently postponed to the current date. Davis’ intentions to retire could have cast a shadow over the upcoming event. Thankfully, hopes resurged when photos of ‘Tank’ resuming training surfaced. Still, no one would have expected the reactions his latest attempt attracted.

Sweat now, suffer less later

The Ring Magazine shared the short video featuring Gervonta Davis and his trainer. “Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis showing off his hand speed today ahead of his fight vs. Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1st…” Read their message. Strictly speaking, what ‘Tank’ did was not something new. It’s easy to dredge up old footage of him practicing hand speed with trainer Patrice ‘Boog’ Harris. Incidentally, ‘Boog’ Harris, who attracted significant attention for his cameo as Michael B. Jordan‘s trainer in ‘Creed,’ also shared the footage through an Instagram post. “Just touching up with @gervontaa,” he said.

Once Harris cued, Davis spewed a string of uppercuts, one after another. The sequence required him to duck whenever Harris extended his arms. Given that he used to train at the famed Mayweather school, incorporating such training regimens should be given.

Nevertheless, the footage left several fans unimpressed. Let’s check out what some of them had to say.

Gervonta Davis snacking on speed

Sounding disappointed, this fan said, “Hand speed slow; I shouldn’t be able to see them punches like this. I see Shakur piecing him up, tbh.” Yes, ‘Tank’s punches are visible; however, to equate it with Shakur Stevenson‘s speed might prove futile. Depending upon the kind of opponent they’re about to face, fighters often alter their training approach.

Stevenson remained a benchmark for the next one as well. “Shakur got better hand speed, wdc,” they said. There are still a few weeks left for the fight. So does a thirteen-second clip warrant such hasty conclusions?

For the next one, though, ‘Tank’s speed hardly mattered. They said, “For the opponent he’s fight who gives a f**k lol.” Lamont Roach Jr. climbed up a division to face Gervonta Davis. Many rate him a technically gifted boxer. However, he has not yet faced an opponent of the Baltimorean’s caliber. Needless to say, Davis remains the heavy favorite to win.

“All for Lamont roach 🪳 smh 🤦,” taunted another one. Like many, they also don’t consider the Washington D.C.-born fighter a serious threat to ‘Tank’ Davis’s hegemony. The nature of this fan’s objections stems from Gervonta Davis’ recent tirade against some of boxing’s prominent figures, such as Terence Crawford. But in real life, they feel that he picks up seemingly weaker opponents. “Lamont Roach 🪳😭. Kinda sh*t opponent considering you acting like “I am gonna beat your a**” to every A-side boxer on Twitter 😭😭😭,” said this fan.

Perhaps given the presence of the media persons, the world champion deserves a benefit of the doubt.

What is significant here is how the March 1 fight at the Barclays Center would eventually unfold. Will it be the usual pattern of ‘Tank’ taking it easy during the initial round before changing gear by the middle and knocking out Roach Jr.? Given he plans to retire by the year-end, what’s more important is who he would face in the next outing.

What do you think? Does Lamont Roach Jr. have the wherewithal to stage a major upset?