It’s unlikely they will ever fight each other, but what’s the harm in making the comparison? Something of that sort happened when WBO interim welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. appeared in an interview with Naji from Cigar Talk recently. The 23-year-old undefeated boxer has sparred with both Gervonta Davis and Jaron Ennis. 

Naturally, the topic of discussion eventually veered towards who hits the hardest. On the one hand, you have the ‘Face of Boxing’ himself, the WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, who boats a near-perfect 93.33% knockout ratio. Meanwhile, on the other hand, you have the IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis who isn’t far behind with an impressive 90.63% knockout ratio. So, the only question left unanswered is—who, according to Norman Jr. is the harder puncher?

Keep in mind, both fighters are pretty neck to neck when it comes to the number of fights and number of knockouts in their professional career. Despite that, Norman Jr. told Naji, “His [Gervonta Davis] punches were more stiff. It doesn’t just bounce off you, it’s going to punch through you. I’ma say Tank..he did have more power [than Jaron Ennis in sparring].”

It wouldn’t be fair to say Ennis might have been taking it easy during his sparring session, but the fact that Ennis went on a 17-fight knockout spree from 2017 to 2022 does say something about Ennis’ power. Meanwhile, even Davis had 16 straight knockout wins between 2015 to 2021.

Regardless, that brings us to their performances in their most recent fights. While Ennis secured a solid 5th-round stoppage against David Avanesyan, Davis appeared to be on a different level entirely. His ability to corner and knock out Frank Martin clean demonstrated a level of power that’s rarely seen in the lightweight division. 

However, what if Davis had to fight Shakur Stevenson, one of the most elusive fighters in the scene? Will Davis’ crazy power even work? Will it be a walk in the park for Tank? 

Coach Kenny Ellis shares thoughts on Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson

Not that long ago, Coach Kenny Ellis stirred up some chatter with his take on a possible fight between Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson. On a podcast with Cigar Talk and The Rize, Ellis, who trains Davis along with Coach Calvin Ford, made it clear that he thinks Davis has the edge. “They can’t be 50-50 if Tank can punch and Shakur can’t punch,” Ellis said, pointing out that Davis’ knockout power is a huge advantage.

He didn’t hold back in his criticism of Stevenson either, suggesting, “Everybody Shakur fought… they touched him. They just didn’t have what it takes to get him out of there.” Ellis also showed confidence in Davis’ skills, adding, “Tank is faster. He’s bigger. He’s stronger. He’s smarter.” Looks like Ellis is firmly backing Tank in this potential matchup.

Alright, will Brian Norman Jr.’s assessment of Gervonta Davis and Jaron Ennis get proven in the ring? Nobody can say, until Davis starts climbing weight classes, or Ennis does the opposite. However, one thing is clear—if they ever meet, huge bombs will be thrown in the ring. Who do you think hits harder?