By Allan Fox: Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis finally commented on the social media talk going around about him possibly going up to 147 to take on former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman in his next fight.
The former three-division world champion Tank (25-0, 24 KOs) says the fans think he’s “Superman.” Fans believe that Tank Davis can beat Thurman, who hasn’t fought in two years and is coming off a 12 round split decision to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.
If Tank were serious about wanting to fight Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs), this would be the best time to do it while he’s rusty. Indeed, Thurman has fought only FOUR times in the last five years since 2016, and that’s frankly pathetic.
You can’t stay as an elite boxer if you’re fighting only once a year, or at least, which is the case for Thurman. He made some money from his fight with Danny Garcia in 2017, suffered injuries, and it’s been all downhill ever since.
Thurman hasn’t looked good in any of his three fights since his close 12 round majority decision win over Garcia, and you can only imagine how he’ll perform coming off a two-year layoff when he returns to the ring in 2021.
I see they think I’m Superman..
— Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) August 1, 2021
Tank’s management trying to create a star
“I’ve yet to hear that’s the exciting news for me this weekend that I’m waiting upon,” said Keith Thurman to Fighthype when asked if Gervonta Davis could be fighting him at 147.
“But once something is proposed to me, I got to sit down and look at it. I know I’d be the bigger guy. I’ve yet to hear that admiration from Tank.
“I did hear rumors that he wanted to be at 147. A different homeboy when I was in the pressor in California, he was telling me about Tank and some rumors about him and Thurman.
“If those rumors that I heard a month ago are starting to develop into real ideas for October, then so be it.
“I’ve yet to hear, and my ears are still open, so we have to see. But everything Tank has been doing; he’s very exciting.
“He’s trying to up his popularity. I heard his pay-per-view numbers did so-so [against Mario Barrios].
“I know they want to make him a bigger pay-per-view star. So if they think getting through a good welterweight is going to do it, then let’s see,” said Thurman.
If Mayweather Promotions is trying to turn Tank Davis into a star at the speed of light, they need to move him up to 147 and match him against Thurman while he’s rusty as an old door hinge.
We saw Thurman lose to 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao two years ago, and the Filipino star wasn’t at the level that Tank Davis is now.
If that version of Pacquiao were able to beat what’s left of the once-great Thurman, Tank would take care of what’s left of him just fine.
Thurman got old in the two years he was out of the ring from 2o19, and it’s very likely he’ll be a shell of what he was when he fights this year.
At this point, we don’t even know if Thurman can make it through a training camp without coming down with some ailment that will cause his fight to be postponed.
Tank dangerous like Pacquiao
“Pacquiao is too small. Everybody is too small when they’re coming up from the lighter weights,” said Thurman. “We were going to call them small because they’re smaller than.
“You got greater than, littler than, the bigger man moving down and a little man moving up. The more you’re moving up if I’m two classes, three classes above you,
“I’m always looking down like you’re the little guy—a little guy with a big pop. I got beat by Pacquiao. Maybe the little Pac [Gervonta Davis] is a problem.
“Maybe it’s not fun being in with these little packages. Maybe that’s what he [Tank] thinks. Pacquiao was able to do it, Floyd was able to do it, other lightweights were able to do it,” said Thurman.
Tank’s small 5’6″ height is about the same size as Pacquiao, but he doesn’t bounce around the way he did earlier in his career. There’s no doubt that Tank Davis could find success at 147 and possibly beat Thurman.
Keith has been out of the ring for too long, and he’s likely nowhere near where he was two years ago when he lost to Pacquiao. He didn’t even look in that fight compared to the form he had during his best years.
Is Gervonta trying to emulate Mayweather?
“Maybe that’s Gervonta Davis’ next move,” Thurman said about Tank trying to potentially emulate Mayweather by going up to 147 to win belts.
“I think Vegas would be better [for a fight with Tank Davis], but that’s because of my fight history, understanding big fights in Vegas.
“I do understand that he’s getting a big following out in Atlanta, but I think if the fight is really big, the boys in Atlanta are going to fly out to Vegas.
“If you make a big fight, it entices people to travel to where the location is regardless.
“If we make it in Atlanta, it’s going to be easier to pack the house regardless of who’s flying in from New York, who’s traveling in from New Jersey, and who’s coming up from Florida.
“Who’s coming from the West Coast to the East Coast to get a piece of that live-action. I think packing the house will not be a problem.
“I think with the right promotional process, maybe doing it in Atlanta could generate that.
“But advertising a lot on the East Coast because I’m from the East Coast. He’s got that following from the East Coast,” said Thurman.
Judging by Tank Davis’s comment on social media about the fans think he’s ‘Superman,’ it sounds like he’s not as ambitious as they think he is.
The thing is, there’s not much difference in the size of the fighters at 140 compared to at 147.
So if Tank is going to stay at 140 and make defenses of his WBA ‘regular’ title, he’s going to be fighting guys that are big enough to be fighting at 147.
Tank might as well go up to 147 and take on Thurman for the fame, the money, and the fact that he can probably beat him. I don’t think Davis would be a prime Thurman, but he doesn’t need to worry about that.
At best, Thurman might be 60% of what he once was five years ago, and that’s being generous. I think Thurman is more like 50% of what he was.
Father time does a number on everyone, particularly fighters that sit around inactive, licking their wounds, getting fat, and enjoying their money the way Thurman has.
Thurman predicts 600K PPV buys for Tank fight
“So I think we can grab some good numbers,” Thurman said. “So let’s say I did 600,000 from the Pac fight, and 300,000 were my followers.
“When I fought Josesito Lopez, we have over three million views. But you could take 10% and say that if I got 3 million people watching me for free, that about 10% will buy, right?
“You just do simple numbers. That means that I carry 300,000 by myself. So I think we could get close to that number [600,000 buys for Thurman vs. Tank].
“And I think with the right promoting and with us both being young and Tank stepping up, we might be able to create enough excitement to exceed those numbers.
“I got a bigger following now post-Pacquiao fight. I haven’t been able to perform and show it, but I know I got a bigger following.
“Every time I go live on the IG [Instagram], I’m getting love from Australia. I’m getting love from the Philippines; I’m getting love from all over the world.
“So I know my following is out there regardless of how much I’m keeping all my social medias and all that.
“People know when Keith Thurman fights, it’s a great fight, and it’s worth tuning into, even if it has to come out of the pocket,” Thurman said.
600,000 PPV buys for a fight between Thurman, and Tank Davis is entirely possible, particularly if they fight in October or November.
If Thurman faces someone else in October and loses or looks poor, which is possible, a fight against Tank won’t make the big money it would.
Putting on great PPV is very rewarding says, Thurman
“I never called out Broner,” Thurman said. “Why would I call out Broner when he just got beat that night by Marcos Maidana? Did I say it before the loss?
“So you interviewed me before the loss? So all I was doing was belt-hunting. I was going after the WBA; this is what I’m trying to explain to you.
“When I was calling out Paulie Malignaggi, I was going after the WBA. Then he lost to Broner, and Thurman was still on the WBA.
“Then he lost to Maidana, and Thurman still wanted the WBA. And then he loses to Floyd, and Thurman still wanted the WBA.
“Then Floyd got elevated, and they gave me the WBA. So I was always hunting. I was belt-hunting at that time.
“Now, I don’t got the belt again, and I would love to belt-hunt. Also, putting on a great pay-per-view would be just as rewarding for me as another world title,” said Thurman.
At this point, Thurman would be better off shooting for a huge PPV event rather than getting involved with trying to win and hold down world titles.
Thurman is too fragile to hold and defend a world title, and he makes things harder for himself by letting his weight get out of hand in between fights.
He’s like how Tyson Fury used to be when he balloon up in weight between fights and would be forced to turn his training camps into fat farms.