Stephen A. Smith’s Confession About Gervonta Davis Makes Boxing’s Longest Debated Topic Sound Irrelevant

Gervonta Davis came off a classic knockout victory against Frank Martin on June 15th. This bout extended Davis’ record to a perfect 30-0 and boxing fans are yet to get over Davis’ splendid win. Many believe that ‘Tank’ is the new face of boxing and he looks like he may achieve even bigger things in the years to come.

‘Tank’ hadn’t competed in a boxing fight for around 14 months after he defeated Ryan Garcia in April 2023. Even with his extended hiatus, he has sparked more discussion about himself than any other boxer in the boxing world. Amidst this, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has made a bold claim about Davis which likely puts an end to a long debated topic. 

Gervonta Davis a bigger draw than Canelo says Stephen A. Smith

The former NBA analyst mentioned how Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, and David Benavidez deserve to be on the pound-for-pound top 5 list. He did, however, note that while the P4P ranking is up for argument, if we talk about the most exciting fighter at the moment, Davis undoubtedly comes out at the top. On his Stephen A. Smith show on YT, the 56-year-old stated, “We can debate the top fighter in the world for pound for pound, we can do that. What we cannot do, is debate who’s the most exciting fighter. [But] who’s the biggest box office attraction in boxing? That would happen to be Gervonta Davis. We just got to accept it.”

Despite the below projected PPV sales of the Davis vs. Martin fight, Tank has garnered a lot of attention in the boxing world. It is a fact that he knows how to sell fights, and he knows it better than anyone else around at the moment. This is what formers the basis of Stephen A. Smith’s argument.

Despite there being more technically superior fighters in boxing like Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue, and Canelo Alvarez, selling out a fight like a star is something Tank is able to do better than others. So when it comes to the age-old debate in boxing over who is the best, Davis’ ability to sell fights better than other boxers negates the entire point of the debate according to Smith. Gervonta Davis is, therefore, currently poised to emerge as the biggest boxing draw of the modern era.

Gervonta Davis’ showdown with Ryan Garcia was a smash hit, generating a mind-blowing $102.4 million in PPV revenue and securing a spot amongst the top 10 highest-grossing boxing fights ever. However, the lackluster PPV numbers for Frank Martin’s fight underscore the importance of a popular opponent. To remain a major PPV draw, Davis needs a big name next. Whispers of exciting fights on his horizon are swirling, but the question lingers: who are the most intriguing matchups for “Tank” Davis next?

Potential candidates for Gervonta Davis’ next fight

‘The Baltimore Prodigy’ currently has the WBA world lightweight belt. Although his fights garner a lot of attention from fans, adding more belts would definitely be helpful for his legacy as a boxer. Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko has the IBF and IBO lightweight belts, and it would be thrilling for fans to see him go against Davis. Both fighters have shown their interest in a clash. Furthermore, it has been disclosed by Loma’s promoter Bob Arum that discussions are underway for a match between the two.

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is another opponent who would be well-suited for Davis. The 29-year-old is known for his powerful punches which typically finish his opponents out. Conversely, Stevenson adopts a crafty tactic to wear down his opponents by landing strikes from a variety of angles, while being extremely elusive, dodging punches. It would be an exciting showdown to watch the two lock horns. 

Meanwhile, what do you think about Stephen A. Smith’s remarks on Gervonta Davis? Do you feel that Tank is the biggest attraction in boxing today? Write down your thoughts in the comments below.