Baltimore Native Gervonta Davis Wins Boxing Title
BALTIMORE (WJZ) - There is a new hometown hero in boxing. Gervonta Davis is the new IBF junior lightweight champion.
The boxer, nicknamed "Tank" dominated his fight against champion Jose Pedraza. Davis eventually landing a clean right hook to keep the former champ on the ground.
The win increases the 130-pounder's record to 17-0 with 16 of his wins coming by way of knock out. Only one of his fights has gone the distance.
Baltimore! my people I couldn't did it without y'all...I was not alone last night...I felt the love. THANK YOU!
— Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) January 15, 2017
According to our media partners at The Baltimore Sun, Davis began training as a boxer at Uptown Boxing Gym in Baltimore at 5 years old.
After getting into a fight at an early age, Davis' uncles took him to boxing classes to get him to stay out of trouble. His trainer, Calvin Ford, was the inspiration for the character Dennis "Cutty" Wise on HBO's "The Wire."
Eventually he would come into the company of a man who many call the greatest boxer of all time, Floyd "Money" Mayweather.
Mayweather eventually became Davis' promoter, signing the young fighter in 2015. Davis now becomes the second champion in Mayweather's camp.
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