By Jim Calfa: Gervonta Davis has vacated his WBA regular 140 lb title and will keep his WBA 135 lb strap, according to the World Boxing Association.
With Tank holding onto his WBA ‘regular’ lightweight crown, it’s expected that the sanctioning body will soon order a fight between Gervonta and their ‘Super World’ champion George Kambosos Jr.
This will be a further move by the WBA to reduce the number of titles they have at 135 from two to one.
You must applaud the WBA for finally taking this step. Now if only the WBC would follow their lead by dumping their Franchise, Silver, gold, and platinum belts.
Boxing fans would much prefer to see Tank facing Kambosos than watching the Australian face WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney.
That would be a dull affair in comparison because Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) can’t punch, and would likely spend the entire fight jabbing, moving, and clinching, as we saw in his win over Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr. last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Tank is too tiny for 140-lb division
The action by the Tank Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) comes to no surprise to fans and this writer because the only reason he moved up to 140 was he saw an opportunity to capture his third division world title last June against a vulnerable champion in WBA secondary light welterweight belt- holder Mario Barrios.
There was virtually NO chance that Tank would stick around at 140 and tangle with the undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor and risk losing. Heck, even against the badly flawed WBA ‘regular’ 140-lb champion Barrios things were tough for the 27-year-old Gervonta.
I mean, Tank needed his promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. to climb up to his corner after the seventh round to give him a motivational speech. Without that pep talk from Floyd, Tank might have lost the fight to Barrios because things were looking mighty bleak for him after seven rounds.
Had Tank stayed at 140 and showed some courage by taking on Josh Taylor, it might not have ended well for him.
Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) informed the WBA that he will only keep his Lightweight belt. Gervonta had five days after his fight last Sunday to choose a division and he decided to stay at 135 pounds.
— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) December 8, 2021
Ellerbe talks about Gervonta being injured
“I thought he looked really good, I thought he boxed good,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe to Fight Hub TV on Tank Davis win over Isaac Cruz last Sunday night.
“His [Gervonta] hand was hurt coming into the fight. I don’t want to get into that,” said Ellerbe when asked how Davis injured his hand before the fight.
“I told everybody. What did I say about Isaac? People overlook all these fighters because they don’t have big names. ‘Oh, why don’t you?’ This guy [Isaac Cruz] is better than a lot of these guys that you’re talking about,” said Ellerbe in what sounded like him trying to justify choosing Cruz as Tank’s opponent rather than matching him against one of the ‘Four Kings’ like Vasily Lomachenko, Devin Haney or Ryan Garcia.
“This guy [Pitbull Cruz] is better than but I knew that, though. That’s the reason why he was ranked in the top ten by every organization. That’s the reason why.
“Of course, he did,” Ellerbe said when asked if Tank Davis expected this type of grueling fight from Isaac Cruz. “He’s tough, he’s tough as nails. I knew that. Every day, what did I say? ‘This guy is tough.’
“He’s [Cruz] is tough, he takes a good shot, but Tank was a one-handed fighter tonight, though. But what Tank showed y’all was his boxing skills. That’s what he showed y’all was his boxing skills, and that’s what it’s about.
Leonard DODGES Kambosos question
“We’re just finished fighting,” said Ellerbe when asked if he’s going to try and negotiate a match between Gervonta and the new undisputed lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr.
“Listen, we’re going to fight the biggest fights out there. You see this, right? Tank is the only one that brings about like that,” said Ellerbe on the large crowd that Gervonta vs. Cruz attracted last Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
“Not y’all, but a lot of people say they don’t even know him, but Cruz showed you all tonight why he’s a tough competitor. I told everybody that Tank would be forced to use his boxing skills and this is what it’s about.
“Showing you’re a complete fighter, and he’s [Tank] is getting better and better with each and every time out. Two different types of fighters,” Ellerbe said when asked if the fight would have played out similarly if Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero had fought Tank Davis last Sunday instead of Isaac Cruz.
“He takes a good shot too. These guys are tough, and that’s why I’m tired of these fans disrespecting these fighters. ‘Oh, this guy is a bum.’ How is he a bum? How?
“Just like they said about your son. ‘He’s going to knock him out.’ He’s not going to knock no Kambosos out in the first round. I’m talking about [Teofimo] Lopez,” said Ellerbe in speaking to George Kambosos Sr., who walked up to him during the interview.
“I knew all of that, I knew that, and that’s why I’m saying if you don’t have a high-profile name, then they don’t get behind you. In boxing, it’s bigger than that, and that’s why I’m saying that.
“They’re gunning for you. This is their Super Bowl, and if you have an off night, you can lose,” Ellerbe said on WHY Tank Davis struggled against Isaac Cruz.
Jim Calfa didn’t like the way Ellerbe dodged the question of whether Tank Davis will fight Kambosos next. The Australian isn’t a PBC fighter, and Tank’s promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. recently made it clear that he’s ONLY going to match him against guys with Premier Boxing Champions.
If Ellerbe and Mayweather choose not to let Tank fight Kambosos because they want to keep Gervonta fighting in-house opposition, it’ll be another missed opportunity for the Baltimore native.