Gervonta "Tank" Davis is a prominent American professional boxer. He currently holds the WBA lightweight title, which he regained in 2023, after previously holding the 'Regular' version. Davis has a history of holding titles in multiple weight classes. He was the IBF super featherweight champion in 2017, a two-time WBA super featherweight champion between 2018 and 2020, and the WBA super lightweight champion in 2021. His career showcases success across different weight divisions, marking him as a significant figure in contemporary boxing.
1940: Last Title Defense in Baltimore
In 1940, Harry Jeffra was the last native of Baltimore to defend a world title in the city before Davis in 2019.
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November 7, 1994: Gervonta Davis's birth
On November 7, 1994, Gervonta Bryant Davis, nicknamed "Tank", was born. He is an American professional boxer.
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2006: National Silver Gloves Championship
From 2006 to 2008, Gervonta Davis won three straight National Silver Gloves Championships.
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2008: National Silver Gloves Championship
From 2006 to 2008, Gervonta Davis won three straight National Silver Gloves Championships.
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2012: National Golden Gloves Championship
In 2012, Gervonta Davis won the National Golden Gloves Championship.
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February 22, 2013: Professional Debut
On February 22, 2013, at the age of 18, Gervonta Davis made his professional debut against Desi Williams and won by first-round knockout at the D.C. Armory in Washington.
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August 2014: Undefeated Record
By August 2014, Gervonta Davis had recorded 8 wins and no losses, with all wins coming inside the distance.
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October 2014: First Full Distance Fight
In October 2014, Gervonta Davis went the full distance for the first time against Germán Meraz, winning by unanimous decision after knocking Meraz down in rounds three and five.
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February 20, 2015: Knockout Victory Against Israel Suarez
On February 20, 2015, Gervonta Davis stopped Israel Suarez with a first-round KO at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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May 22, 2015: TKO Against Alberto Mora
On May 22, 2015, Gervonta Davis scored a technical knockout (TKO) against Alberto Mora at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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September 12, 2015: Defeats Recky Dulay
On September 12, 2015, Gervonta Davis defeated Recky Dulay in 94 seconds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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October 30, 2015: Defeats Cristobal Cruz
On October 30, 2015, Gervonta Davis defeated Cristobal Cruz at The Venue at UCF in Orlando, Florida.
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April 1, 2016: KO Victory Against Guillermo Avila
On April 1, 2016, Gervonta Davis defeated Guillermo Avila by KO in the sixth round at the D.C. Armory.
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June 2016: Román Martínez's Loss
In June 2016, Román Martínez had a KO loss to Vasyl Lomachenko, prior to the potential fight against Davis in 2017.
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November 15, 2016: Davis to Challenge José Pedraza
On November 15, 2016, ESPN announced that Gervonta Davis would challenge José Pedraza for the IBF super featherweight title on January 14, 2017.
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January 14, 2017: Wins IBF Super Featherweight Title
On January 14, 2017, Gervonta Davis defeated José Pedraza in a seventh-round KO to win the IBF super featherweight title at the Barclays Center in New York.
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May 7, 2017: Davis to Defend Title Against Liam Walsh
On May 7, 2017, it was announced that Gervonta Davis would defend his title against Liam Walsh in London, England on May 20, 2017.
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May 20, 2017: Davis Retains IBF Title
On May 20, 2017, Gervonta Davis stopped Liam Walsh in the third round to retain his IBF title, although there were controversies surrounding an early stoppage. Davis had trouble making weight.
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July 2017: Davis to Feature on Mayweather-McGregor Undercard
In early July 2017, it was reported that Gervonta Davis would feature in the co-main event of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor on August 26, 2017.
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August 1, 2017: Alleged Assault Incident
On August 1, 2017, Gervonta Davis was allegedly involved in an aggravated assault incident, which led to an arrest warrant being issued on September 19, 2017.
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August 26, 2017: Davis Defeats Francisco Fonseca
On August 26, 2017, Gervonta Davis defeated Francisco Fonseca via KO in round eight, but was stripped of his IBF title after failing to make weight. The final punch appeared to be an illegal punch.
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September 19, 2017: Arrest Warrant Issued for Davis
On September 19, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Gervonta Davis on charges of first-degree aggravated assault related to an alleged incident on August 1, 2017. He posted a $100,000 unsecured bond for his release and was due in court on October 19.
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November 15, 2017: Davis's In Ring Return Announcement
On November 15, 2017, Leonard Ellerbe announced that Gervonta Davis would be making his in ring return in the first quarter of 2018.
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November 29, 2017: Charges Dropped Against Davis
On November 29, 2017, the assault charges against Gervonta Davis were dropped after the complainant, Anthony Wheeler, dropped the charges. Davis and Wheeler embraced and left the courtroom together.
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2017: IBF Super Featherweight Title
In 2017, Gervonta Davis held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight title.
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January 24, 2018: Next Appearance on Television
On January 24, 2018, Showtime announced that Gervonta Davis would next appear on television on the undercard of Broner vs. Vargas on April 21.
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June 2018: Abner Mares Last Fight Before Davis Bout
In June 2018, Abner Mares lost his last fight against Léo Santa Cruz, prior to the bout with Davis.
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August 2018: Teased Fight with Abner Mares
In August 2018, Mayweather teased a potential fight between Davis and Abner Mares via social media.
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September 14, 2018: Davis Arrested for Fist Fight
On September 14, 2018, Gervonta Davis was arrested in Washington, D.C., for engaging in a fist fight with another man. Both men attempted to flee before the police arrived.
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November 2018: Davis to Defend WBA Title Against Abner Mares
In November 2018, Davis announced that he would defend his WBA title in February 2019 against Abner Mares.
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2018: WBA Super Featherweight Title
Between 2018 and 2020, Gervonta Davis held the World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight title (Super version) twice.
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February 9, 2019: Confirmed Date for Fight Against Mares
On December 14, 2018, the fight between Gervonta Davis and Abner Mares was confirmed to take place on February 9, 2019, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, later changed to Dignity Health Sports Park.
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February 2019: Davis Defends WBA Title Against Abner Mares
In February 2019, Davis was scheduled to defend his WBA title against Abner Mares.
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July 27, 2019: Davis Beats Ricardo Núñez
On July 27, 2019, Gervonta Davis beat Ricardo Núñez by second-round technical knockout in Baltimore, Maryland.
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December 28, 2019: Davis Wins WBA Lightweight Title
On December 28, 2019, Gervonta Davis fought Yuriorkis Gamboa for the vacant WBA (Regular) lightweight title and won by twelfth-round technical knockout.
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2019: WBA Regular Lightweight Title
From 2019 to 2023, Gervonta Davis held the Regular version of the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title.
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February 1, 2020: Davis Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge
On February 1, 2020, Gervonta Davis was arrested on charges of simple battery/domestic violence for allegedly grabbing his former girlfriend's shirt and dragging her at a basketball game at the University of Miami.
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October 31, 2020: Davis vs. Léo Santa Cruz
On October 31, 2020, Gervonta Davis made his PPV debut against Léo Santa Cruz, moving down to super featherweight to reclaim his WBA (Super) title. Davis won by knockout in the 6th round, retaining his lightweight title and recapturing the WBA super featherweight title, also earning The Ring Magazine Knockout of The Year award for 2020.
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November 2020: Car Crash Incident
In November 2020, Gervonta Davis was involved in a car crash in downtown Baltimore after allegedly running a red light, resulting in injuries to four people. He was indicted on fourteen counts in March 2021.
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2020: WBA Super Featherweight Title
Between 2018 and 2020, Gervonta Davis held the World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight title (Super version) twice.
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March 22, 2021: Davis Indicted on 14 Counts for Car Crash
On March 22, 2021, Gervonta Davis was indicted on fourteen counts for allegedly causing a serious car crash in November 2020 after running a red light in downtown Baltimore. The crash injured four people, including a pregnant woman.
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June 26, 2021: Davis vs. Mario Barrios
On June 26, 2021, Gervonta Davis fought Mario Barrios at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, for the WBA (Regular) super lightweight title. Davis won by TKO in the eleventh round, marking his debut in the super lightweight division. Barrios later revealed a 10lb rehydration clause was part of the fight agreement.
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August 21, 2021: Davis Involved in Plane Incident
On August 21, 2021, Gervonta Davis was aboard a Gulfstream 4 that experienced a nosewheel collapse and skidded off the runway at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Fortunately, Davis and all other passengers were unharmed.
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October 6, 2021: Davis Announces Fight Against Rolando Romero
On October 6, 2021, Gervonta Davis announced he would be facing Rolando Romero on December 5, but Romero was later replaced by Isaac Cruz due to allegations. Davis ultimately fought Cruz on the night, winning via unanimous decision after going the distance for only the second time in his career.
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2021: WBA Super Lightweight Title
In 2021, Gervonta Davis held the World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight title (Regular version).
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January 2022: Davis vs. Romero Ordered by WBA
In January 2022, after Rolando Romero was cleared of sexual assault allegations, the WBA ordered Gervonta Davis to defend his WBA (Regular) title against Romero. They agreed to fight on May 28.
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December 27, 2022: Davis Arrested on Battery Domestic Violence Charge
On December 27, 2022, Gervonta Davis was arrested and jailed in Florida on a charge of battery domestic violence. A woman was heard begging for help on 911 calls, but she later recanted her accusation.
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January 7, 2023: Davis vs. Héctor García
On January 7, 2023, Gervonta Davis faced Héctor García, winning by eighth-round corner retirement after García complained about his eyesight. The fight was temporarily halted due to a crowd altercation.
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February 24, 2023: Davis vs. Garcia Fight Announcement
On February 24, 2023, it was announced that Gervonta Davis would fight Ryan Garcia in a catchweight bout on April 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight included a 10lb rehydration clause.
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May 5, 2023: Davis Sentenced in Car Crash Case
On May 5, 2023, Gervonta Davis was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest and 3 years of probation for his involvement in the November 2020 car crash, after accepting a plea deal on February 16, 2023.
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June 1, 2023: Davis Jailed for Home Detention Violation
On June 1, 2023, Gervonta Davis was taken into custody for violating the terms of his home detention and was sentenced to serve the remainder of his sentence in jail.
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July 14, 2023: Davis Released From Jail
On July 14, 2023, Gervonta Davis completed the confinement portion of his sentence and was released from a Baltimore jail.
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November 29, 2023: Davis Elevated to WBA Lightweight Champion
On November 29, 2023, Gervonta Davis was elevated to the primary WBA lightweight champion after Devin Haney relinquished his title to move up to the super lightweight division.
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December 24, 2023: Davis Converts to Islam
On December 24, 2023, Gervonta Davis converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name Abdul Wahid.
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2023: WBA Lightweight Title
In 2023, Gervonta Davis held the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title, having previously held the Regular version from 2019 to 2023.
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May 2024: Ranked Among Best Lightweights
As of May 2024, Gervonta Davis is ranked as the world's second best active lightweight by ESPN, first by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and second by The Ring magazine.
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June 15, 2024: Davis vs. Frank Martin
On June 15, 2024, Gervonta Davis defended his WBA lightweight title against Frank Martin at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, securing an 8th round knockout and retaining his title.
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October 2024: Davis vs. Roach Postponed
Davis's fight against Lamont Roach Jr. which was scheduled to take place in October 2024, was postponed.
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November 13, 2024: Davis vs. Roach "Targeted" for March 1, 2025
On November 13, 2024, the fight between Davis and Roach was "targeted" for March 1, 2025.
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November 29, 2024: Davis vs. Roach Confirmed
On November 29, 2024, the bout between Davis and Roach has been confirmed to take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on March 1, 2025.
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December 14, 2024: Davis vs. Roach Postponed
Davis's fight against Lamont Roach Jr. which was scheduled to take place on December 14, 2024, was postponed.
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March 1, 2025: Davis vs. Roach Confirmed
On November 29, 2024, the bout between Davis and Roach has been confirmed to take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on March 1, 2025.
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