- Gervonta Davis had not fought since beating Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas last April.
- The 29-year-old showed signs of rust early on before prevailing over Martín.
- Davis has said he would be willing to fight Garcia but at 140 pounds.
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis retained his title and extended his undefeated record with a devastating eighth-round knockout of Frank Martin on Saturday night.
The Americans faced each other at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with an expectant crowd eager to see an undefeated streak come to an end.
Their prayers were answered in brutal fashion when Davis, who initially worked against a competitive Martin, connected with a left hook before ending the fight with a crushing uppercut.
‘It was a little rusty, but it’s okay. I’m back,’ Davis said after the fight, reflecting on him being more than a year out of the ring since he defeated Ryan Garcia last April.
‘I feel like I’m not fully warming up like I wanted to. Well, I warmed up, but I cooled down as the fight unfolded before me, but that’s okay. There are no excuses.’
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (right) retained his title after a brutal knockout of Frank Martin.
“(Martin’s) footwork didn’t bother me,” the 29-year-old added. ‘I knew he was going to get tired, so that’s what he was doing. I would stay there, be a target for him just to make him tired, and once he gets tired, I will start destroying him.
‘I’ve been around for a long time. I have been training since I was seven years old, competing since I was eight. So it’s like second nature. It’s just about staying focused, making sure my mind is on the goal, and that’s always coming out on top.”
Davis was seen in a rather jovial exchange with his most recent combatant, Garcia, who had taken a spot in the ring after the fight ended.
The enigmatic and often controversial California native wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “rematch me b*tch” on the back. Garcia’s only loss in his professional career was against Davis.
He has since rebuilt his career with a victory over Oscar Duarte before his surprising victory against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. His interaction has reignited speculation that a rematch could be on the cards.
Last month, Davis revealed he would be willing to fight Garcia again, but asked for the fight to be at 140 pounds, a weight Garcia failed to make in his win over Haney.
Davis was coming off a layoff of more than a year and had not fought since beating Ryan Garcia (left) last April.
Davis was questioned about his intentions after taking his record to 30-0 on Saturday night and was asked if players like Vasiliy Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson or Isaac Cruz were in his sights.
“The most important thing is that I want to get back to the drawing board, get back in the gym and stay focused,” he said. “I felt like I was a little rusty, but all those guys are on my radar.”
