With a plethora of different sports going on right now, there are plenty of options for fans to choose from when it comes to what they will be tuning in to watch this Saturday.
In a crowded sports weekend, it’s tough to get folks to spend their hard-earned money on a sporting event when pretty much everything else is free to watch.
If there is an exception, it’s because Gervonta “Tank” Davis is fighting on Showtime pay-per-view against Mario Barrios.
Have you ever heard that old saying of “you get what you pay for”?
With Davis (24-0, 23 KOs), you should get your money’s worth because you’re almost guaranteed a thrilling knockout when he steps in that ring.
At only 26 years old, he is still a ways from his prime and will only get better. He is becoming must-watch TV for his near perfect knockout ratio.
Power like Tyson
Knockouts in boxing are what get mainstream buzz worldwide — just like how Mike Tyson captivated the world by brutally knocking out everyone in the late 1980s.
In his last fight in October, Davis knocked out Leo Santa Cruz with a ferocious uppercut that got the world sports world buzzing on Twitter.
LeBron James: “Knockout of the Year!! My GOODNESS!! Night Night”
Magic Johnson: “Gervonta Davis’s knockout on Leo Santa Cruz reminds me of Mike Tyson’s power!!”
The Davis/Tyson comparisons are warranted. Davis reminds us of a young Tyson if he were shrunk into a lightweight.
Tyson, at 5-foot-10, was considered a short heavyweight, but that didn’t stop him from putting larger men to sleep.
Davis is a mere 5-foot-5, and most of his opponents are taller than him too.
Still, “Tank” has been just that and has rolled over 23 of his 24 opponents via knockout — eight in the first round.
Tyson’s first 24 bouts also ended in wins with 21 knockouts — 14 in the first round.
Any similarity there?
The great Magic Johnson thinks so.
Flash like Mayweather
If Davis continues to win and excite fans while doing so, he could be well on his way to become this generation’s Floyd Mayweather — a must-see attraction.
After all, Davis is fighting under Mayweather Promotions and is mentored by the boxing legend who set all kinds of PPV and revenue records.
“The ultimate goal is for him to break all my records,” Mayweather said in an episode on Showtime’s All Access ahead of Saturday’s bout against Barrios.
There’s no better guide for Davis than Mayweather himself for him to accomplish that.
Davis, then-25, had his first PPV last fall that drew 225,000 buys is well ahead of schedule. Mayweather’s first PPV was at age 28, which drew 340,000 buys. Plus, it’s unlikely Davis will retire for two years in his prime like Mayweather did in 2008-2009.
Both fighters know how to garner a young, urban crowd and connect to a fanbase that way, including tying boxing and hip-hop together.
In his 2007 fight against Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather walked out in a Mexican-themed outfit with 50 Cent rapping alongside him.
Davis replicated that ring walk with a similar outfit fighting a Mexican fighter. However, the Baltimore native had a rapper from this generation in Lil Uzi Vert to accompany him in last bout.
Davis later tweeted a photo that compared himself to the exact look Mayweather had 13 years earlier.
With a following of almost 3 million followers on Instagram, Davis knows how to promote himself and hopefully become a household name.
If Davis could knock out the much taller Barrios Saturday night, expect fireworks all over social media buzzing about “Tank.”
