A lot to my skilled detriment, I’ve by no means been one to toe an organization line. My “aspect” in any boxing situation has at all times been the aspect I see as the reality. And, typically, that pisses folks off. Truly, it pisses lots of people off fairly often.
Every time I get a message or e mail from somebody telling me how a lot they love my work and even how they’re my no. 1 fan, I do know it’s in all probability solely a matter of time earlier than they begin hurling offended insults at me and pledging to by no means learn me once more. This has occurred means too continuously throughout my profession and certainly far more typically than it occurs to the BWAA large photographs who get all the massive gigs, however generate all the eagerness of an article in Crochet World journal.
Once I first began writing, I used to be identified by many as a “Floyd Mayweather man” as a result of I appeared to be on his “aspect” throughout that point. He WAS unjustly criticized and judged by a biased institution media brimming with double requirements. However after I began criticizing sure Mayweather issues, the Mayweather folks wrote me off.
Like I mentioned, this has occurred lots. No person, apparently, needs their sacred cows touched.
Effectively, there are not any sacred cows for me after I’m on the job.
So, okay, now let’s speak about Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
I’m a fan. I really like to observe him struggle. I really like HOW he fights. I really like the concept he’s an actual, official grassroots-grown attraction, possibly the one star of his type on this present US boxing scene.
However I’ve to say that I took the announcement that Tank can be preventing Lamont Roach on December 14 nearly in addition to I took my constructive COVID check two days earlier than I used to be set to go to Vegas.
As I wrote over at my different gig (www.boxingnews.co):
“Roach is an efficient fighter, however he’s solely an acceptable opponent for Tank Davis if he’s the stay-busy, quiet down struggle between true top-tier light-weight/junior welterweight opposition. Up to now, the most important win on Roach’s resume was his shut, WBA tremendous featherweight title-winning effort versus former Davis fall man, Hector Luis Garcia final November. The 29-year-old’s different greatest struggle was a 2019 unanimous resolution loss to Jamel Herring in a bid for Herring’s WBO tremendous featherweight title.”
Apart from Roach’s aggressive worthiness for Tank, there’s the stone chilly fact that he simply doesn’t have the form of star presence one would count on from a official pay-per-view B-side preventing somebody who many argue is the “Face of Boxing.”
“Face of Boxing” or not, Davis is unquestionably one of many prime three of 4 faces of boxing and, legitimately, the American “Face” of US boxing in the intervening time. And, as such, everybody involves count on Davis versus one other star.
You don’t see the AAA minor league baseball champion Omaha Storm Chasers fast-tracked to a World Sequence berth. If we’re treating pay-per-view essential occasions because the elite exhibits they’re speculated to be, then we shouldn’t see a relatively unknown coming from a ProBoxTV card right into a struggle for which followers are being requested to pay 80 bucks (or extra).
Sorry. We are able to kinda, sorta overlook questions concerning the extent of opposition, as lots of Tank’s fights are, technically, in opposition to fellow champions or highly-ranked opposition. And, as I mentioned, Roach is an efficient fighter. However we shouldn’t overlook the truth that Tank is, once more, preventing somebody who NOBODY has been clamoring to see as a pay-per-view rival– as he has completed in each one in every of his pay-per-view exhibits since he grew to become a PPV headliner, except for the Ryan Garcia struggle.
Additionally from BoxingNews.co:
“Some will argue that Davis is entitled to this explicit ‘meh’ headliner. They’ll level to Vasiliy Lomachenko (in)famously passing on a proposed Tank struggle as a result of he wasn’t “within the temper.” They’ll then level to Shakur Stevenson, Davis’ different rumored big-fight opponent, transferring on to Matchroom Boxing and, because of this, away from a Davis conflict.
Admittedly, eradicating Lomachenko and Stevenson from the record of doable opponents tremendously diminishes big-fight choices for the three-division world champ. However there needs to be a “no gimme,” no “who’s that man?” rule for all prime stars competing at Davis’ degree, particularly contemplating that fighters solely compete a couple of times a 12 months lately…and particularly, ESPECIALLY contemplating that Davis and his folks intend on slapping an enormous pay-per-view price ticket on the present.”
Followers deserve higher than the promise of yet one more virtuoso efficiency. And, yeah, Tank Davis deserves a much bigger, higher showcase for his distinctive expertise.
Received one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
