Gervonta Davis, one of the brightest stars in the lower weight classes of boxing, is set to return to the ring on June 15 to defend his WBA lightweight title against undefeated Frank Martin. The fight will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be part of a Premier Boxing Champions card streamed on Amazon Prime. The co-main event will feature David Benavidez making his debut at light heavyweight against Alexandr Gvozdyk.
Davis, known for his speed and power, holds a perfect record of 29-0 with 27 knockouts. In his last fight in April 2023, he scored a seventh-round knockout victory over Ryan Garcia. Martin, also 29 years old and undefeated at 18-0 with 12 KOs, is coming off a victory over Artem Harutyunyan in July 2023. Although Martin was originally set to fight Shakur Stevenson in late 2023, the bout fell through, leading to Stevenson facing Edwin De Los Santos instead.
Despite being one of the best boxers in the world, Davis has faced legal troubles during his time away from the ring, including charges for a hit-and-run accident and domestic violence. However, the charges for domestic violence were dropped in May 2023. With a near-14-month layoff, there are questions about ring rust as he prepares to face Martin, who is considered an upper-echelon fighter in the weight region.
While not as high-profile as Devin Haney, Stevenson, or Teofimo Lopez, Martin is a legitimate contender for Davis. It will be interesting to see how Davis performs against a tough opponent like Martin after such an extended layoff. The timing of Davis’ fight announcement coincided with the night Garcia challenged Haney for the WBC Super Lightweight title, with Davis’ team taking a shot at the expected turnout for the Haney-Garcia bout.
If Davis can defeat Martin and return to form, he has the potential to headline another major event later in the year. With Martin having the opportunity to establish himself as a top contender with a strong performance against Davis, the fight has the potential to shake up the landscape of the lower weight classes in boxing. Davis’ star power and skill make him a key figure in the sport, and his return to the ring will be closely watched by fans and experts alike.
