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Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis Is A No Show To Fight Week Grand Arrivals

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Abraham Gonzalez | Last updated Jun 12, 2024 1:42 PM ET

On Tuesday Afternoon, the MGM Grand hosted the grand arrival ceremony to kick off fight week, which is headlined by WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as he defends his title against Frank Martin. Davis is one of the sport’s biggest stars and did not attend the grand arrival ceremony. Instead, his trainer, Calvin Ford, did and spoke on his behalf. Davis hasn’t been too pleased with the promotion and took to X to publicly display his displeasures. “The promotion for this fight been a$%…Now watch ion show up to the arrivals sh*t today.”

Is it mind games, or is Davis really unhappy with how things are handled? It’s hard to compete with the Saudis and what they are doing when it comes to promoting their events, so it’ll be interesting to see if Davis makes any of the other media events throughout the week. Everyone else did show up, and the quotes from the event are below.

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

“I’m really thankful for everyone who came out to support, this fight is for you. We’ve worked extremely hard and we’re going for the knockout this Saturday.

“My plan is to conquer the light heavyweight and super middleweight divisions. Whoever comes to the plate, they can get it. I’m ready to fight whoever and beat whoever.

“I have a lot to prove to the world. I really want to be the best of my generation and until I am, I’m going to keep working hard.”

FRANK MARTIN

“I’m feeling great. I’m locked in and I’m focused. The goal is to go in there and beat Gervonta Davis. I’m here to take his spot. I’m here for a reason. I’m here to take over.

“I’m different. I got speed, power, IQ, and really I have it all. You’re going to see. When it’s time to bite down, the world is gonna see.

“Sparring is just sparring, we have this fight Saturday and I’m gonna whoop his ass. We have Saturday to show who’s who.”

OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK

“I have a lot of experience and I have something to show him. It’s going to be an exciting fight that you don’t want to miss.

“Even though he’s moving up in weight, he’s still a big guy. So I’m not thinking about that. I’m expecting him to be in the best shape of his career, just like I am.”

CALVIN FORD, Gervonta Davis’ Trainer

“We’re back in business. We’ve been waiting for this for a while, so we’re really excited to put on a great performance for the fans. That’s who we do it for.

“Watching ‘Tank’ in camp, it scares me how great he looks. He’s really showed maturity in the ring. He’s extremely focused. I want people to leave the arena saying how great this fight was.”

ABOUT DAVIS VS. MARTIN & BENAVIDEZ VS. GVOZDYK

Davis vs. Martin and Benavidez vs. Gvozdyk will see popular superstars Gervonta “Tank” Davis and David “El Monstro” Benavidez co-headline a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video on Saturday, June 15 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Headlining the show is the undefeated three-division champion Davis defending his WBA Lightweight World Championship against unbeaten top contender Frank “The Ghost” Martin, while Benavídez is set to make his 175-pound debut against former light heavyweight world champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk in a matchup for the Interim WBC Light Heavyweight Title.

The pay-per-view will also see undefeated rising star Gary Antuanne Russell take on unbeaten former world champion Alberto Puello for the vacant Interim WBC Super Lightweight Title, while WBC Middleweight World Champion Carlos Adames battles veteran contender and U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in the pay-per-view opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena hosted its premiere boxing event in January 1994 and, over its 30-year history, the venue has become synonymous with the sport’s biggest fight nights. Fight fans have watched champions ranging from George Foreman and Julio Cesar Chavez to Roy Jones and Shane Mosley step in the ring and put on a championship display of skill. Epic battles including Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, Holyfield vs. Tyson II, Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV, multiple Barrera vs. Morales title fights, and Mayweather vs. Canelo, among others, led all boxers to want to fight at the legendary Grand Garden Arena. The June 15 event will mark a celebration of the venue’s storied history as boxing’s next chapter unfolds with these two high-stakes showdowns.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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