Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin fight predictions, odds, undercard, start time, preview, expert picks

Gervonta “Tank” Davis will return to the ring for the primary time since April 2023 when he faces Frank Martin in a Prime Video pay-per-view principal occasion on Saturday. Davis, arguably “the face of boxing,” can be defending his WBA light-weight title.

Davis has change into one of the well-liked fighters within the sport whereas rising via the ranks and constructing a status as one among boxing’s high energy punchers. Those that key in an excessive amount of on Davis’ energy punching miss on the well-rounded, affected person sport he has constructed to create openings to land the large pictures that end opponents off.

In his most up-to-date outing, Davis crushed fellow younger celebrity Ryan Garcia in a catchweight combat, scoring a pair of knockdowns, with a physique shot for the second conserving Garcia on the canvas for the referee’s 10 rely.

Davis was already a celebrity coming into the Garcia combat, however the win took him to a different degree. For years, Davis had talked about massive fights with the opposite younger stars across the light-weight division, however these conferences hadn’t materialized. When the chance lastly got here, he made probably the most of it.

In some methods, the Martin combat is a disappointing step backward. Davis has talked up the concept of fights with the likes of WBC light-weight champ Shakur Stevenson or former undisputed champ Devin Haney however as an alternative finds himself in opposition to Martin, a fighter who deserves respect for his expertise however brings little or no title worth to the promotion of the combat (learn extra about why this combat was made right here).

“I am gonna break you up. I am gonna cut up all that up beneath your eyes. Each time I inform individuals one thing is gonna occur, what occurs?” Davis stated on the ultimate press convention this week. “It hasn’t even hit him but. He’ll see Saturday. It is gonna hit him. Particularly after I contact him. What’s he bringing to the desk that I have never seen?”

Martin is a stable fighter with pace, energy and tactical know-how. He is finished the one factor fighters must do to open the door to a championship alternative: win.

At 18-0, Martin steadily climbed via the rankings, culminating in a career-best efficiency in a one-sided drubbing of Michel Rivera in December 2022. That combat was considered as a virtually 50/50 combat earlier than the fighters entered the ring however Martin made a case to win all 12 rounds.

Sadly, Martin took a step backward in his subsequent combat, struggling to a slender resolution win in opposition to unheralded Artem Harutyunyan. Martin was uncharacteristically passive for a lot of rounds, permitting Harutyunyan to remain aggressive on the playing cards. Ultimately, Martin put collectively some good rounds down the stretch and scored a knockdown in Spherical 12 to keep away from the upset.

Martin might want to look way more like the person who ran up the rating on Rivera than the one who fought Harutyunyan if he desires to take down one of many pound-for-pound most gifted males within the sport.

“This could go down nonetheless he desires it to go down. If he acts up, like I have been saying, you are gonna see Gervonta Davis get knocked out. If he acts up, he is getting knocked out, interval. If he acts loopy, he will sleep,” Martin stated.”Calvin’s telling me to push these buttons, effectively I am coming to push each button he is bought. Come out and anticipate an excellent combat. Let’s get it.”

There are 4 complete title fights on the primary card. Past the primary occasion, the combat was probably the most consideration this week sees the debut of former tremendous middleweight champion David Benavidez at 175 kilos when he takes on former mild heavyweight titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Benavidez has continued to push for a shot in opposition to undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, however the Mexican celebrity has continued to stiff-arm him at each flip. Now, he will get the possibility to seize a bit of a title with hopes of changing into undisputed at mild heavyweight. 

“To be sincere with you, I did all the pieces in my energy attainable to make that combat occur,” Benavidez instructed CBS Sports activities at Thursday’s media day. “I beat the fighters that they instructed me I could not beat. I used to be No. 1 contender for the previous three years however I had my fingers tied. 

“I did all the pieces in my energy attainable to make it occur. The one cause this combat is just not taking place is as a result of Canelo would not need it to occur as a result of he is aware of rattling effectively that when he faces me, I am taking all of his titles dwelling with me.”

One other title combat set for Saturday evening sees Gary Antuanne Russell tackle Alberto Puello for the vacant WBC interim junior welterweight title. Russell, youthful brother of former WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., is an ideal 17-0 with all of these wins coming by knockout. Puello isn’t any slouch himself, nonetheless, as he enters with an ideal document as effectively at 22-0 with 10 knockouts. And the PPV opener sees Carlos Adames look to defend his WBC middleweight title in opposition to veteran Terrell Gausha.

Russell famous that his prolonged layoff had lots to do together with his father’s instantly loss of life in Might 2022 and dealing with it. 

“I had a number of psychological issues I needed to cope with, my father passing, simply getting used to him not being within the health club, acclimating to my older brother that is now the top coach. However it’s nothing like your father. I have a look at it as we had been all nonetheless studying, there is no cap to studying. For me to have that understanding, it is like dang, [Gary Russell Jr.] continues to be studying, [Gary Allen Russell] continues to be studying and now I bought to have a look at them because the grasp as a result of I’ve bought to constantly put myself within the place of pupil nonetheless if I wish to develop. That alone brings a number of vulnerability.”

Let’s check out the remainder of the undercard earlier than attending to a prediction and decide on the primary occasion.

Davis vs. Martin combat card, odds

• Gervonta Davis (c) -700 vs. Frank Martin +475, WBA light-weight title
• David Benavidez -650 vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk +450, vacant WBC interim mild heavyweight title
• Gary Antuanne Russell -700 vs. Alberto Puello +475, vacant WBC interim junior welterweight title
• Carlos Adames (c) -750 vs. Terrell Gausha +500, WBC middleweight title

Viewing data

• Date: June 15
• Location: MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment — Las Vegas
• Begin time: 8 p.m. ET
• Methods to watch: Prime Video PPV | Value: $74.95

Prediction

Whereas Martin is a step down from the extent of title followers wish to see Davis going through — particularly for contemporary pay-per-view costs — he is an efficient fighter who can be anticipated to beat all however the elite tier of lightweights. The issue is, Davis is on that elite tier. There’s probably not something that Martin does that Davis would not do higher. Due to that, Martin has to hope Davis is rusty from his day out of the ring, which included a stint in jail, and may’t get rolling or cannot discover his timing.

Extra seemingly is that this combat performs out very predictably. Davis tends to begin gradual, getting a really feel for his opponent’s pace and locking in his personal timing whereas in search of openings. It is a Vasiliy Lomachenko-esque “downloading the info” method for Davis firstly of fights and it provides transient glimpses of hope for opponents, as was the case for Garcia and Rolando Romero. Then the swap flips and it is all downhill from there as Davis begins touchdown steadily and powerfully.

Count on Martin to place a number of early rounds within the financial institution earlier than Davis cracks him with a number of good pictures after which it turns into a sport of survival. As soon as Martin is worn down a bit, Davis seemingly will get the mid to late rounds stoppage. Decide: Gervonta Davis by way of TKO8

Who wins Davis vs. Martin, and which method-of-victory prop is a must-back? Go to SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s finest bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a revenue of greater than $4,000, and discover out.