Errol Spence Jr. is backing his fighter, Frank Martin (18-0, 12 KOs), to upset WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (29-0, 15 KOs) on June 15th in their headliner on PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in las Vegas.
Fans aren’t giving Martin much chance due to his struggle in his last fight against Artem Haruntyunyan and his lack of comparable victories.
What he does have is power, and he’s hungry, ready to topple the ring-rusty, Baltimore native Tank, who has been on an extended victory lap, enjoying the praise from his seventh-round knockout victory over Instagram star Ryan Garcia.
With Tank Davis’s 14 months out of the ring, it’s difficult to know for sure how he’ll look against Martin. Martin will be coming full throttle on June 15th, pushing a fast pace and looking to win the early rounds to build up an insurmountable lead against the notoriously slow starter.
Martin: The Most Skilled, Talented Fighter Tank Has Faced
“I see him getting his hand raised. I feel he’s the most skilled, talented fighter that Tank ever fought,” said Errol Spence during Instagram Live, talking about his fighter, Frank Martin, poised to upset WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta Davis on June 15th in their fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
I think Martin will only win this fight if he focuses on volume punching and puts power on his shots. Tank has shown that he’s vulnerable against fighters who throw a lot of punches, and that’s not Martin’s style of fighting. Martin has a low work rate and loads up.
“He [Tank Davis] can’t take those early rounds off and come on in the seventh or eighth rounds and hope for a knockout,” said Spence. “I feel like Frank is going to dominate him first through twelve rounds and win the fight.”
Spence has got the right idea, wanting Martin to get off to a fast start, but he might choose to play it safe once he gets a taste of Tank’s power in the first few rounds. We saw how Ryan Garcia got scared after being hurt in the second round by Tank last year in April.
“Tank is going to put up a fight. He’s a great fighter, but I feel like Frank is definitely going to take it,” said Spence. “He’s the best fighter he’s fought. He’s going to see the speed. He’s going to see the strength. He’s going to see the power that Frank brings to the table come fight night.”
If Martin hadn’t looked so bad in his last fight against Artem Harutyunyan, fans would believe what Spence is saying. If Martin had come back from that fight and shined against someone like Shakur Stevenson, Andy Cruz, or Vasily Lomachenko, people would believe in him. That’s not the case.
A Rematch in the Works?
“He’s the best at 135 lbs, and he’s going to prove that he’s the best at 135 lbs against the big dog, Tank Davis,” said Spence. “When he wins, there’s got to be a rematch. Shakur got to wait,” said Spence about his wanting Martin to fight a rematch with Gervonta after he beats him on June 15th.
“Yeah, there’s a rematch for sure,” said Martin.
If Martin wins, there will definitely be a rematch because Tank isn’t going to walk away from that defeat without at least trying to avenge it. Even if Tank’s management advises him to move on, he’ll likely insist on fighting the rematch due to his stubborn pride and knowing deep down that his career will be in ruins if he doesn’t try and avenge the loss.
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