LAS VEGAS – There was a collective groan around the MGM Grand lobby when it was announced that Gervonta “Tank” Davis would not actually be arriving at his own Grand Arrival on Tuesday.
The fight week opener fizzled ahead of Davis’ scheduled WBA lightweight title defense against Frank Martin on Saturday, and disappointed fans were left shaking their heads, with Davis trainer Calvin Ford left to carry the can and break the news.
“I want to apologize to the fans,” Ford said, killing the buzz that had built since the scheduled arrivals started some 90 minutes earlier. “He can’t make it at this moment because he’s been delayed, but he’s going to make it up to y’all on fight night. Trust what I’m saying to y’all. Y’all want to see this performance that he’s going to put on to the fans.”
Davis had earlier taken to X to write: “The promotion for this fight been ass.. now watch ion [sic] show up to the arrivals s*** today..”
Fans had been asked repeatedly by roving reporter Kinsey Wolanski during the previous hour and a half who they were on hand to see, and while some had come to catch a glimpse of David Benavidez ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Gvozdyk, the majority had come for Davis, and “Tank” fever swept through the lobby.
“We’re back in business. We’ve been waiting for this for a while,” Ford said of Davis’ first fight back after 14 months. “We want to put on a great performance, we want to put on a great performance for the fans at the end of the day.
“Watching him in camp, it scares me because of the things he’s doing and his maturity when he gets in that ring. I’ve seen him listen to a conversation, listen to what’s going on, and he’s real focused.”
Asked about the threat posed by Detroit’s Martin, Ford said: “It’s serious, because it’s a different type of fight. You can’t sleep on Frank. Frank is coming to put on that party. He showed it at the press conference, he showed it throughout the whole ordeal for being a young guy that’s coming on the scene at this level right here. I want people to leave, watch TV and leave the arena saying that’s one of the classiest fights we’ve seen since the old days.”
By Tris Dixon