It was something no one expected. On March 1, when Gervonta Davis faced Lamont Roach Jr., there was hardly anyone who hadn’t picked the Baltimorean for yet another statement win. But as the final bell rang, they were as disillusioned as ever. Keep aside the controversy that unfolded; they were aghast. For what many felt, if not saw, was a distracted and unusually compliant Tank.
If you’ve come across David Benavidez‘s latest interview on ‘Pound for Pound,‘ then you might as well add one more adjective: burned out. The light heavyweight champion had joined hosts and former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo in their increasingly popular show’s latest episode. From his last fight against David Morrell to the Canelo quandary, the trio touched upon a myriad of subjects before Gervonta Davis and the March 1 fight pulled them into a deeper discussion.
Benavidez on Gervonta Davis: Might have run out of steam earlier than expected
To Benavidez, more than the controversy, when Tank took a knee and went unpunished, or the match decision, it was the way he fought that was more concerning. “What I didn’t like about Tank is that he was gassing up Lamont Roach way too much, giving him way too much respect.” If he appeared a bit ‘distracted’ to Usman, then to Cejudo, “Gervonta Davis could be done.” Nonetheless, Usman contended he was, by and large, satisfied with the final decision, the majority draw. “In the fight itself, he looked distracted, and we all know Tank is a beast, and there were flashes in the fight where he brought Tank out, but he just seemed a little distracted to me,” he said.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01: Gervonta Davis takes a knee in the middle of round nine due to the grease in his braids dripped into his eyes against Lamont Roach Jr. during their bout for Davis’ WBA lightweight title at Barclays Center on March 01, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
That invariably forced Cejudo to draw a legacy comparison. He felt that perhaps Davis was following in the footsteps of his former mentor, Floyd Mayweather. Stay safe and don’t incur any loss. He observed, “He has a love-hate relationship with the game, and he doesn’t know how to kind of deal with that pressure. He’s like, What if? Like, what if I lose?”
There’s another possibility. “Maybe he’s burnt out,” added David Benavidez. He explained, “A lot of us have been boxing for 26 years. That dude, I don’t know how long he’s been boxing, but the thing about this is different from certain other fighters when they’re like…when they’re really deep in the amateur game.” Gervonta Davis started boxing at an extremely young age of five and has had a long road. So that may explain a lack of fire or signs of emotional fatigue today.
In light of his purported retirement and the wealth he’s already amassed, there’s a chance the hunger might be gone.
Might there be precedents that shed light on this?
Now, what Benavidez said is purely personal. It may be open to debate. However, it’s futile to ignore the points he raised. One good example that could be reviewed in this regard is that of Anthony Joshua. Interestingly, unlike Benavidez or Davis, he started boxing quite late, when he was eighteen. Working his way through the amateur circuit, he peaked at the London Olympics with a gold medal.
April 22, 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, United States: LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -April 22: Gervonta Davis prepares to fight Ryan Garcia fight in the 12-round main-event Lightweight bout at Premier Boxing Champions – Davis vs Garcia at T-Mobile Arena on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada United States – ZUMAp175 20230422_zsa_p175_217 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx
His subsequent transition into professional boxing saw him become a unified heavyweight champion. But heavy-duty battles that Joshua waged against the likes of Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz, and finally the consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk seemingly took a toll. Now, despite a brief resurgence, he is back to square one following the knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
In the boxing world, there’s a near-unanimous opinion. Fernando Vargas burned out early after facing top competition at a very young age. His body wore down fast due to hard fights, and some even believed he had peaked too soon.
Fans will have to watch for the rematch on August 16 to validate if what Benavidez said was true. Or if what happened on March 1 was nothing but an aberration.
What’s your take? Do you also think that Gervonta Davis might have burned himself out after years in boxing?
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