Where Was Gervonta Davis Born? All You Need to Know About His Rough Childhood, Parents, and Early Life

Gervonta Davis fought off Hector Luis Garcia in January of this year. It was his third title defense. Four months later, he defeated Ryan Garcia during a non-title grudge bout. By all accounts, it would appear to be an innocuous itinerary on a top-tier boxer’s calendar. So why then does the boxer still find his name mentioned in the top-ten pound-for-pound best boxers list?

Well, such is the impact with which Gervonta Davis has fought over the years. He won 93% of his fights, against some of the best in the business, through early stoppages. Especially the last fight with ‘KingRy,’ a boxing superstar in his own right, raised Davis’ stock to the extent that many count him among the ‘faces of boxing.’ Now at the summit of the boxing world, even ‘Tank’ might have found it baffling how far he has come from his humble, more than often bumpy childhood.

Gervonta Davis: Finding a way through life’s knockouts

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 7, 1994, to Garrin Davis and Kenya Brown, Gervonta Davis grew up in a place far removed from his current uber-luxurious lifestyle. The area, Sandtown-Winchester, was rife with crime and poverty. Lack of material comforts aside, what probably marred his early life was the absence of a normal childhood. Since his father was never around, Davis and his siblings were brought up largely by his mother.

If that was not enough, for a long time, substance abuse afflicted both his parents. Reportedly, he spent a considerable part of his childhood in multiple foster homes. A 2019 article in the Los Angeles Times quoted Gervonta Davis, “…my mother did drugs… It took my grandma about three years to get us back as we went into different homes—to a foster family, to a group home. It was like we were locked up, too—the only times we could see our family was for about 30 minutes in this little room.”

Boxing: A second chance

But things took a positive turn when, with some assistance from his uncle, he landed up at coach Calvin Ford‘s gym. Boxing proved to be the salvation the young boy had been chasing after for so long. In Baltimore’s Uptown Boxing Center, in Ford, who had himself served a sentence earlier, ‘Tank’ found a father figure. Boxing provided much-needed stability for the future world champion.

The discipline and, more significantly, a sense of purpose kept Gervonta Davis away from the streets. Right from the time he started, his talent separated him from others. The world learned about him as he began participating in amateur championships. Apart from the National Golden Glove and a slew of National Silver Gloves, Gervonta Davis won two National Junior Olympic gold medals and a few other prominent events.

Before he switched to professional boxing in 2013, Davis had amassed an enviable amateur record. On February 22, 2013, he debuted professionally against Desi Williams, winning the bout with a first-round knockout. He hasn’t looked back since.

Read More: “Guys That I Started [With] That’s Not Here No More”: Gervonta Davis Gets Emotional After Ryan Garcia Press Conference

Which is your favorite ‘Tank’ knockout of all time? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Gervonta Davis Pays For Thanksgiving Turkeys For The Homeless