Mike Tyson has voiced his respect for the boxing skills of Gervonta “Tank” Davis, deeming the Baltimore native one of the sport’s future legends. The legendary heavyweight, who many fans and critics have compared Davis to in recent years, was asked about his thoughts on the rising star’s name being mentioned in the same air as his.
“Tank is a great fighter,” Tyson said during a recent run-in with TMZ. When the interviewer notes that other pundits and boxing enthusiasts have predicted that Davis will be a legendary figure in the sport, the Baddest Man on the Planet agrees, with the caveat that the young southpaw continues on the current trajectory that he’s on professionally. “He’ll be [a legend] too if he keeps fighting,” Tyson confirms before concluding the exchange.
The Brooklyn-bred pugilist has sung Davis’ praises on numerous occasions. Prior to Tank’s lightweight title bout with Rolly Romero in May 2022, Tyson broke down the traits that make Davis such a dominant opponent in the ring. “Fighting Gervonta is another animal,” the icon said during an episode of his Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast. “He’s highly sophisticated. He uses his height for his advantage more than his disadvantage.”
He continued, adding “He’s built like a slugger, but he’s actually a master boxer, punch hard in both hands. Great jab and is almost impossible to beat him in this time. It’s going to take a good fighter to be able to beat him, real smart and tough.”
Much like Tyson, Davis has become a household name due to his explosive punching power, which has led to a string of highlight-reel worthy knockouts over future Hall-of-Fame opponents and rising contenders alike. Currently 28-0 with 26 wins knockouts, he has won titles in multiple divisions, including super featherweight, lightweight, and super lightweight. Davis recently retained his WBA (Regular) lightweight title after knocking out super featherweight champion Hector Garcia earlier this month.
He is scheduled to take on superstar contender Ryan Garcia in a blockbuster matchup scheduled to take place on April 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.