Error code: %{errorCode}
What will Gervonta Davis's legacy be if he retires after Jake Paul fight?
Gervonta Davis is less than seven weeks away from facing Jake Paul in a controversial exhibition bout in Florida.
Davis has decided not to defend his WBA lightweight belt, instead opting to take a fight with Paul where he is set to have significant height, weight and reach disadvantages.
And this could be the final fight of his career. Responding to a fan on X last week about when he was planning to hang up his gloves, Davis strongly hinted that he will move on from the sport following his fight with Paul, while also declaring that “boxing is dead”.
If Davis does walk away from boxing in November, how will he be remembered?
Let’s take a look at the legacy ‘Tank’ Davis is likely to leave behind.
Three-weight world champion
It is easy to forget that Davis still only 30 years old - he will turn 31 the week before facing Paul.
Yet he has been at the top of the sport for the best part of a decade. His breakout performance came back in January 2017 when he outclassed the durable Jose Pedraza before stopping him in the seventh round to win his first world title at super featherweight.
Two fights later he missed weight and had to relinquish his IBF belt, but he bounced back to win the WBA strap in his next outing.
A move up to lightweight followed where he won the WBA title, and he then jumped up again to earn the same trinket at super lightweight.
Some fans may point out he earned the ‘Regular’ titles in these two weight classes and argue these are not the full versions of championship belts.
But Davis does have a claim to being a three-weight world champion and he has been involved in title fights since he was only 22.
Esther Lin & Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions
A knockout artist
There can be no denying that Davis is one of the biggest draws in boxing right now. He has become a household name in the US thanks to his extraordinary knockout power.
Of his 31 professional bouts, 28 have ended inside the distance. Davis is not concerned about giving away rounds as he knows he possesses the ability to take his opponent out with either hand.
At his best, Davis keeps fans on the edge of their seats waiting for that knockout blow to be delivered.
His most memorable knockout came back in October 2020 when he left Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz laid out cold in the corner after landing a huge left uppercut.
Fighters who can change a contest with one punch will always get people tuning in to watch them in action, and Davis certainly fits into this category.
(SHOWTIME)
Has Davis cherry picked his way to the top?
Davis has been involved in world title fights for over eight years, but has he fought the best possible opposition?
He was once named as one of boxing’s ‘Next Four Kings’ alongside Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney, and fans were excited to see them all fight each other to determine the best boxer of their era.
But Davis has not fought Lopez or Haney. He did take on Garcia, stopping him in the seventh round, but Garcia later complained about being weight drained after a rehydration clause was inserted into their fight contract.
Shakur Stevenson has also emerged on the scene in recent years, and Davis has shown little interest in facing him.
It would be unfair to say Davis does not have some good names on his record. He deserves credit for beating the likes of Rolando Romero, Frank Martin and Isaac Cruz, fighters who have all proved they belong at the highest level.
But questions do need to be asked about why he has not challenged himself against Lopez, Haney and Stevenson. It is also disappointing that he has not taken a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr after their draw earlier this year – the only blemish on Davis’s resume.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Lack of activity
Davis made his professional debut in February 2013 when he was just 18 years old.
Yet almost 13 years on, he has only had 31 fights. Considering he is one of the biggest attractions in boxing, this is not enough activity.
It is notable that Davis only fought once in 2020, 2022 and 2024, while he has also only had one competitive fight this year ahead of his exhibition with Paul.
Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez have arguably been the last two faces of boxing. The former had periods of inactivity but towards the end of his career he got fans on board by targeting fights on Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekend. Canelo has taken a similar approach in recent years.
Davis has not gone down the same route, often only fighting once a year while not being involved in regular super-fights when they were ready to be made.
If he does retire later this year, he may regret not taking more opportunities to prove his greatness.
- Read next | I fought Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield 17 years apart but neither was the hardest puncher I ever faced
What is Davis’s legacy?
Davis has won world titles in three different divisions and has never lost inside a professional ring.
He has also hovered around The Ring’s list of top 10 pound-for-pound fighters, highlighting that he is a supremely talented boxer.
But it is hard to escape the feeling that he may have underachieved. He was guided by Floyd Mayweather during the earlier stages of his career and looked to be his heir apparent at one stage.
He seemed to have everything in his favour as he was being promoted by an all-time great while also possessing the knockout power to finish fights in an instant.
Yet Davis has not quite delivered on his superstar potential. He has never been in the conversation for the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, while fans now look set to be left wondering how fights with Lopez, Haney and Stevenson would have played out.
If Davis moves on from boxing he can look back on his career with pride, but he may still have a nagging feeling that he could have done more.
Watch the biggest fights and best fighters with a DAZN subscription
A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
