Gervonta Davis Vs. Frank Martin: Strategic Analysis

Tonight, WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis is set to defend his title against up-and-coming star Frank Martin at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The match may be Tank’s toughest fight to date. Frank Martin is an agile, mobile boxer who will attempt to evade and counter Davis.

Frank Martin began boxing at age 15 and has progressed through the ranks, waiting for an opportunity to be on the world stage, and it’s here. Can he capitalize on this opportunity? To do so he must box a near to perfect fight.

He’s facing one of the hardest punchers in the sport, Tank Davis. Of his 29 fights, only two have gone the distance. To survive a 36-minute match with Tank, he must box a near-perfect match.

When he exchanges with Davis, Martin must stay out of range and avoid staying in the pocket for too long. His mobility will be his biggest strength, and he must utilize it as often as possible to survive, sticking and moving.

At yesterday’s weigh-in, Frank did look slightly drained, coming in at 134.4 pounds. He may have outgrown the division and could possibly move up to 140 pounds soon.

If his body allows him to compete as in his previous matches, where he looked strong, healthy, and quick, he will be competitive in this match. Gervonta Davis easily made weight at 133.4 pounds and looks stronger than ever. His trainer, Calvin Ford, stated at this week’s media press conference that Tank may bring out another level, and we’ll see the best version of Tank.

Gervonta Davis is coming off a 14-month layoff and is eager to return to the ring. In that time, he’s overcome some personal challenges, one of them being incarcerated for 45 days at a Maryland detention center. Tank holds the edge in experience and boxing IQ. He’ll look to set traps and bait Martin into exchanges.

Throughout the week’s press buildup Tank has given the impression that he may be more aggressive for this match than usual.

Frank stated at yesterday’s weigh-in that if Tank does take that approach, he’s going to make him pay and knock him out. Davis is a much more skillful boxer than most people give him credit for.

He is calculated and precise with his punches. His output may be economical, but his timing and precision give him the edge in landing the devasting punches he lands on his opponents.

Gervonta has the second-highest power punch connect percentage in boxing, at 47.7 percent (Compubox). Tank starts slow, as he uses the first few rounds to study his opponents and measure their strengths and weaknesses.

He’ll do the same with Frank, once he computes the data, he’ll look to trap him into a counter and land a devasting punch.