Tim Bradley states that Vasily Lomachenko is the “hardest” fight that Gervonta Davis has fought. This is a fight that Bradley says Tank will need a knockout to win because he can’t outbox Lomachenko to win a decision. He either knocks out Loma or loses a decision.
Tank’s Knockout Imperative
Tank falls behind in his fights, and you can’t do that against Lomachenko because he fights well when he’s sitting on a lead and knows how to hold onto it without getting caught by desperate home run punches.
Bradley feels that Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) brings something that Tank Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) has never seen before during his long career when they fight in November in a unification.
WBA lightweight champion Davis has the power to win if he can connect, but Bradley isn’t sure if he can.
“I don’t think Loma is over-the-hill. Tank is going to have to knock him out. He’s going to have to knock him out because Loma can get ahead on the scorecards,” said commentator Tim Bradley to Fight Hub TV about Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis needing a knockout to defeat Vasily Lomachenko in November.
Lomachenko wasn’t washed in his last two fights against George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney. Loma stopped Kambosos Jr. and was on the receiving end of a controversial decision against Haney in a fight that many felt he won. I had Lomachenko winning 8-4 against Haney.
“It would be funny to see the game plan of Tank and what he would do. If Tank is coming forward, firing combinations, coming in behind that jab, he can control Loma. But if he sits back and tries to use that high guard and nothing in between, Loma is going to be able to push him back,” Bradley continued.
If Tank Davis comes forward, applying pressure, it won’t be any different than if he hands back. The three fighters that Lomachenko had problems against, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Orlando Salido, had the mobility to get to Loma. Tank moves more like Guillermo Rigondeaux, who was flat-footed and helpless.
“Loma is not running. He’s going to stay in the vicinity. He’s going to stay in close proximity. He’s going to be outside the reach. Outside, getting in, outside the reach, and he’s going to play with the distance.”
We’re going to see movement from Loma because he does that in every fight, and that’s how he defeated George Kambosos Jr. last May. In that fight, Lomachenko would come in, land shots, and move out of range of the wild swings from Kambosos. He’ll do the same with Tank Davis because he’s just as predictable.
Loma’s Unique Skillset
“I just think Loma brings something Tank never seen before. Loma will be the hardest fighter Tank has ever fought. Mentally skillful, experienced, even with the age. Every legendary fighter has one more good fight in them. They’re just waiting for the opportunity to show it,” said Bradley.
Lomachenko is world’s better than the fighters that Tank has fought, which have been a lot of older, washed fighters and B-level sluggers like Ryan Garcia, Frank Martin, Isaac Cruz, and Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero. Tank has never fought any pure boxers before, and that’s not by accident. His management didn’t want him outboxed.
“I think Tank is the right guy for him. Loma knows he’s got to go down to the ocean. Loma, you’re going to have to go down to the bottom of the ocean. The deepest part of the ocean [to beat Tank]. Come back up and do it again if you’re going to beat Tank because Tank is younger and stronger,” said Bradley.
Lomachenko would get motivated for anyone, but a fight against Tank Davis is as it gets. This is the guy that Loma has wanted to fight for seven years, and he’s finally getting a chance to do it.
The fact that Tank Davis’ management waited until Lomachenko was 36 is a sign of respect because it shows they didn’t think he could win until now. They had no confidence in Tank so that they wouldn’t make the fight.
Read the full article here
