Davis Broke Martin Mentally Before The Fight – Here’s How?
Gervonta Davis has gotten in Frank Martin’s head before their lightweight fight on Saturday.
Davis is the massive favorite as he puts his WBA Lightweight Belt on the line. He will box for the first time since beating Ryan Garcia last year. Tank has been absent from the ring for 14 months after serving jail time following the Garcia win. Given the length of his absence, Davis has been doing everything to put his name out there, including taunting Martin. He has attempted to break Martin with mind games through various means.
During the kick-off presser, Davis brought up their previous sparring session. He showed Martin a video clip, possibly showing some weakness in his game, while keeping the footage away from the media. Although Davis recognized that Martin caught him with a good shot, he made it clear he was unhurt, showing Martin he could take shots. It may also subconsciously encourage Martin to throw more shots, leaving himself open to a counter, something Ryan Garcia found out.
Davis’ Mind Games
Davis also took on Martin’s team during the final presser. Errol Spence Jr. was in attendance since Martin is signed to his promotional company. Tank called out Spence, stating he was simply here for a ‘cheque.’ The implication was that Spence did not believe in Martin’s ability to win. It was also a sly dig at Spence, who has been accused of not paying Martin’s current trainer, Derrick James. Spence parted ways with James after reports he did not pay him the correct amount from the $25 million purse and PPV from the Terence Crawford fight. While Spence and James were in attendance on the podium, it was clear things were not rosy between the two.
Davis On Spence
Davis also got a reaction from Martin at the face-off in the presser. As they squared up to each other, Davis reacted to imply he was going to throw a punch. Martin flinched, responding himself to move his arm, as Davis laughed and walked away.
At the weigh-in, Davis looked the happier fighter. He weighed 133.4 pounds, while Martin hit the scales at 134.4 pounds. The difference in attitude was huge. Davis did a backflip, showing how confident he was feeling. Meanwhile, Martin looked weight-drained, with suggestions he was looking to leave the weigh-in to rehydrate as soon as possible. While that may be the case, Spence has shut down any worries. But the fact he has had to address it suggests there is some concern.
“No, he didn’t look drained. It’s part of weigh-ins,” Spence said
Nevertheless, Davis has taken confidence from what he has seen. He was clear that Martin struggled to make weight, which can only aid his cause.
“It looked like he sat in the bathroom for a long period of time to get the water out of him. You can see it in the face. Yeah, it was cool [for me]. It was cool,” Davis
“He can’t even make weight. He’s been working for a minute to make weight. It’s going to be crazy out there. So, I hope he’s prepared and been training hard. Tomorrow, it’s going to be a great night for the sport of boxing,” Davis added
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