Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin Flops On PPV – ‘Fake Face Of Boxing’
Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin flopped on PPV, leaving question marks over Tank’s star power.
Davis knocked out Martin in the eighth round to retain his WBA Lightweight Title. It was Davis’ first fight since stopping Ryan Garcia last year. The Garcia fight sold over 1.2 million PPVs, making it the highest-grossing event of 2023. However, the Martin PPV figures, which are approximately between 325,000-350,000, show that Davis needs the right dancing partner. However, Rick Glaser has disputed those numbers.
Garcia’s huge crossover appeal made that a massive fight. The Davis-Martin card also had David Benavidez vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk as the co-main event. It was the Mexican Monster’s first fight at 175 pounds, with the winner becoming mandatory for either Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol. Beterbiev and Bivol fight for undisputed at 175 in October. Despite a strong main card, the numbers were underwhelming. His PPV numbers without Garcia show that.
Davis PPVs
Ryan Garcia: 1.2 million
Hector Garcia: 200-250K
Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero:275K
Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz: 200K
Mario Barrios: 210-215K
Leo Santa Cruz: 200-225K
This raises question marks over Davis’ future fights. He branded himself the face of boxing when he defeated Garcia. But the PPV figures show otherwise. Garcia’s fight with Devin Haney sold more than 500,000 PPVs. Davis also faces pressure to face the biggest names if he wants the highest purses. Reports indicate that he could box Vasiliy Lomanchenko next. That fight has long been overdue, with Davis accused of ducking Loma when he was in his prime.
Davis’ Options
Now, Lomachenko is not seen as the same fighter. Davis is also out of the picture when it comes to the Saudis. The Saudis were interested in making him fight Devin Haney. But Davis shut down those suggestions, stating that he wanted two Ferraris delivered to his door before even considering talks. So unless Tank fights the biggest names, the PPV numbers will not hit the highs they could. Paulie Malignaggi has been unimpressed with Davis avoiding the best, namely Shakur Stevenson.
“Now that Lomachenko is 175 years old and he still looks good, but you’re [Tank Davis] naming Lomachenko at the post-fight press conference. But now Stevenson is the prime guy, who doesn’t represent a risk that you want to take. This is my issue here. When I wanted to see Davis and Lomachenko, I wanted to see Davis and Lomachenko.
“I don’t need to see Davis and Lomachenko when it’s too late already. Now, I want to see Davis and Stevenson. Guess what? Nobody is talking about Davis and Stevenson. That’s my issue. That’s my problem with boxing. They make fights when it’s convenient for them when there’s an advantage. Davis looked terrific [against Frank Martin]. I was very impressed with the performance. The way he was able to go and get that win, but come on. Shakur Stevenson is a different proposition than anybody else,” Malignaggi stated
A fight with Lomachenko will sell a lot of PPVs. While the Shakur fight is expected to be more competitive, it will not sell the same amount due to Stevenson’s defensive style.
