Frank Martin vs. Gervonta Davis fight forecasts, odds, undercard, start time, preview, and professional selections

The two elite lightweights square off on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

On Saturday, Gervonta “Tank” Davis will compete in a Prime Video pay-per-view main event against Frank Martin, marking his first comeback to the ring since April 2023. As “the face of boxing,” Davis will be defending his WBA lightweight championship.

Davis rose through the ranks and established himself as one of boxing’s best power punchers, eventually becoming one of the most well-liked fighters in the sport. People who focus too much on Davis’s powerful punching ability fail to see the patient, well-rounded style he has developed to generate opportunities for his big shots, which kill opponents off.

In his most recent match, Davis destroyed another rising star Ryan Garcia in a catchweight bout. Davis scored two knockdowns, the second of which was a body punch that forced Garcia to the canvas for the referee’s 10-count.

Although Davis was already well-known before the Garcia bout, the victory elevated him even further. For an extended period, Davis had discussed major bouts with the other rising talents in the lightweight class, but those encounters had never happened. When the time eventually arrived, he took full use of it.

The Martin fight is a disappointing step backward in certain respects. Although Davis has hyped fights with fighters like WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and former undisputed champion Devin Haney, he ends up facing Martin, a fighter who is talented and deserving of respect, but who adds very little notoriety to the fight (see why this fight was made here).

“I’m going to separate us. I’m going to divide all of that right in front of you. What happens every time I predict anything to happen to people? During this week’s last press conference, Davis stated. He hasn’t even been affected yet. He’s scheduled for Saturday. It will definitely hit him. particularly when I contact him. What has he brought that I haven’t seen to the table?”

Martin is a capable fighter who possesses strength, quickness, and tactical awareness. He’s accomplished the one thing fighters must do in order to get a chance at a championship: win.

Martin began to rise up the ranks at 18-0, and in December 2022, he had a career-best performance in a one-sided drubbing of Michel Rivera. Before the competitors entered the ring, the fight was thought to be around a 50/50 match, but Martin presented evidence to win all 12 rounds.

Regrettably, Martin regressed in his subsequent bout, just emerging victorious via unanimous decision over relatively unknown Artem Harutyunyan. For a number of rounds, Martin exhibited an unusually lethargic demeanour, which helped Harutyunyan maintain his competitive edge. Martin ultimately avoided the shock by finishing with a few strong rounds and a knockdown in Round 12.

If Martin wants to defeat one of the most skilled fighters in the sport, pound for pound, he has to appear far more like the man who put up a big score against Rivera than the one who battled Harutyunyan.

This can descend in whatever direction he choose. He’s going to be knocked out, no matter what. “He’s going to sleep if he acts crazy,” Martin remarked.”I’m coming to push every button Calvin has because he’s telling me to push those buttons.” Come prepared for a fierce battle. Let’s acquire it.

The main card has four title fights in total. Apart from the main event, this week’s most talked-about bout features former super middleweight champion David Benavidez making his 175-pound debut against former light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Canelo Alvarez, the undefeated super middleweight champion, has consistently stiff-armed Benavidez despite his persistent efforts to get a shot at the title fight. He now has the opportunity to win a portion of the belt with the hopes of winning hands-down at light heavyweight.

“To tell the truth, I did everything within my power to ensure that fight took place,” Benavidez said to CBS Sports during the media day on Thursday. I had my hands bound even though I had been the top contender for the previous three years.I exerted all effort within my capacity to ensure its success. The only reason this fight isn’t taking place is because Canelo knows full well that I’ll take all of his championships home with me when we square off.”

Gary Antuanne Russell and Alberto Puello will compete for the vacant WBC interim junior welterweight title on Saturday night in another title match. Russell is a perfect 17-0, with all of his victories coming via knockout. But Puello is no slouch either—he comes in with a perfect 22-0 record and 10 knockouts. In addition, Carlos Adames will challenge seasoned fighter Terrell Gausha for the WBC middleweight belt in the PPV opener.

Russell mentioned that dealing with his father’s unexpected death in May 2022 played a significant role in his prolonged sabbatical.

However, it’s not at all like your father. I view it this way: learning never ends. We are all constantly learning new things. That understanding for me is like, “Damn, [Gary Russell Jr.] is still learning, [Gary Allen Russell] is still learning, and now I have to look at them as the masters because, in order for me to advance, I must always put myself in the role of learner. Just that creates a great deal of vulnerability.”

Before making a prediction and choosing a favourite for the main event, let’s examine the remainder of the undercard.

Pairings for Davis vs. Martin: odds

Frank Martin +475 vs. Gervonta Davis (c) -700, WBA lightweight title

Oleksandr Gvozdyk +450 vs. David Benavidez -650, empty WBC light heavyweight championship interim

Alberto Puello +475 vs. Gary Antuanne Russell -700, empty WBC junior welterweight title in interim

WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (c) -750 vs. Terrell Gausha +500

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Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas; Date: June 15

Time of start: 8 p.m. ET

How to watch: $74.95 with Prime Video PPV

Forecast

Martin is a decent fighter who should be able to defeat all but the best lightweights, even though he is not the kind of celebrity that fans would like to see Davis take on given the cost of modern pay-per-view. The issue is that Davis belongs in that exclusive group. Martin essentially accomplishes nothing that Davis doesn’t do better. Martin must thus hope that Davis is rusty after his time out from the ring, which included a period in jail, and is unable to get going or find his timing.

It is more likely that this conflict goes down in a pretty predictable way. In order to gauge his opponent’s speed and establish his own tempo while scanning the field for openings, Davis usually starts out slowly. It’s a “downloading the data” strategy reminiscent of Vasiliy Lomachenko that Davis uses to start fights, and it offers opponents, like Garcia and Rolando Romero, fleeting hope. After that, the switch switches, and Davis begins landing frequently and forcefully, it’s all downhill from there.

Anticipate Martin to score a few early points until Davis breaks him with a few well-placed baskets, at which point it will be a survival game. Davis usually wins the middle to late rounds stoppage once Martin starts to tyre a little.