August 03, 2023

GERVONTA (TANK) DAVIS STYLE BEGINNER - ADVANCED BREAKDOWN

This is not some long post about Gervonta Davis’s story.

It’s not about what got him into boxing

And it's not about why he continues to fight

This is purely focused on HOW HE FIGHTS. It’s a study guide for you to know the main techniques, tips, and tricks

That are used by the WBA lightweight champion of the world

So you can start implementing aspects of his strategy into your own fighting style and increase your overall boxing IQ.

So let's get into it…

BASIC INFORMATION:

Age - 28

Debut - February 22, 2013

Next Fight - Unannounced

Record - 29-0

KOs - 27 (93.1%)

Height - 166cm

Reach - 171cm

Stance - Southpaw

The Basics

Davis adopts the Southpaw stance, which instantly gives him a slight advantage as there is only a handful of Southpaw fighters out there.

Meaning that most of his opponents aren't used to the distinct differences between Southpaw and Orthodox fighters.

Next, his lead hand is usually extended, not just to maintain distance, but also to block opponents' vision, manipulate their guards, and allow for quicker jabs.

All while his rear hand stays close to his face, serving as a defensive shield against incoming punches from his opponent's right hand.

Outside of his guard, Davis likes to duck his head frequently as both a feint and a defensive measure,

Making it challenging for opponents to gauge his movements and easy for Davis to find openings.

Side Note* When he ducks, he always keeps his hands up, ensuring he is protected in case his opponent throws his shot low.

What sets Davis apart from other fighters is his power and ability to observe his opponents carefully

Coupled with his ability to fight off his backfoot and move on the outside of the ring gives him a distinct advantage,

Which has allowed him to knock out 27 of the 29 opponents he has faced.

Low Volume, High Impact

One of the most intriguing aspects of Davis's fighting style is his ability to deliver knockout blows with an astonishingly low volume of punches.

While other fighters might rely on high-output combinations, Davis prefers a more measured approach.

He conserves his energy, allowing him to maximize the impact of his shots, which is particularly crucial in longer fights.

The heart of Davis's offense lies in his counter-punching strategy.

He is constantly feinting to gauge how opponents react, analyzing their tendencies and openings for his devastating counters.

Davis has a profound understanding of timing and distance, and he patiently waits for the perfect moment to unleash his ungodly power.

When his opponents try to land punches, he either steps back slightly, luring them to overreach and expose themselves to his counter-attacks

Or he ducks in, which takes away the power of their punch, and as he comes in he will push their guard open, allowing his flat-lining uppercut to land through the middle.

Work The Body

Gervonta Davis is also a master at working the body as a way to manipulate his opponent's guard.

He does this by targeting opponents' midsections with a hard straight left hand

For two main reasons

First, he inflicts damage on his opponents, wearing them down and draining their energy throughout the fight

And secondly, the body shots force his adversaries to lower their guard as they try to protect their already bruised organs.

Once their hands begin to drop, Davis quickly capitalizes on the opportunity by launching powerful headshots, often in the form of lethal hooks and uppercuts.

Which catches his opponents off guard and eventually leads to a devastating knockout

Defensive Mastery

While Davis is known for his knockout power, his defensive skills are equally impressive.

Now his head movement is impressive as he often ducks his head as a feint and defensive measure, while keeping his hands up to block potential low blows.

And his footwork with his ability to angle out is also impressive whenever he is in danger or after he has just thrown a combination

The main defensive move that I believe you can incorporate into your own style is how he uses his jab.

Note* In order for this to work your rear hand must be close to your face in order to protect against attacks on that side.

What's so good about his jab?

Well, he often sticks it out and will leave it out which gives him multiple advantages in any long-range exchange.

Firstly, this allows him better vision as his glove isn’t in his own face and creating blind spots. With this better vision, he can better observe his opponent while he plans his next attack.

Now the downside of this is that Davis is more exposed, however, this isn't usually an issue for him thanks to his keen eye and fast reflexes.

Secondly, he uses his extended lead hand to tap down and block one of his opponent's hands. Remember that the other side is protected by Davis’s read hand, so by blocking his opponent's other hand with his lead hand

He is forcing his opponent to think which can distract him and allow Davis to either counter or angle out of whatever situation he is in.

Also, because Davis angles out on the same side as his lead hand, he is able to protect himself while he angles by making his opponent unable to throw with the hand closes to Davis.

Thirdly if he doesn't want to block his opponent's hand, he can simply place the extended jab over his opponent's eyes and temporarily blind him

Giving Davis a split second to come in and land an attack that his opponent simply cannot see coming.

Ring Control and Movement

In the ring, Davis is also a master of controlling the pace and distance of the fight.

He uses his footwork and lateral movement to circle around the outside of the ring, carefully choosing his positions to maintain control and set up his traps.

However, he never appears frantic or overly aggressive, demonstrating his exceptional poise and tactical awareness.

A particularly fascinating tactic Davis employs is positioning himself in a specific part of the corner.

It’s just to the side where his body is perpendicular to the ropes and his leadfoot is always on the open side.

This strategic location creates a false sense of opportunity for his opponents, enticing them to push forward and try to corner him.

Little do they know that Davis thrives in this spot, as it tricks his opponents into over-committing while he either angles off and counters,

Or simply just counters with his tremendous power.

Targeting and Exploiting Weaknesses

Finally, Gervonta Davis's keen observational skills come into play when targeting and exploiting his opponent's weaknesses.

His observational prowess is showcased in his ability to identify the smallest openings.

Davis remains patient, looking for those split-second chances when his opponents drop their guard or leave a slight opening.

When he finds that window of opportunity, he will often test it out using fakes.

Then once he is confident about the opening, he will bait his opponent into throwing, and as soon as they do

BANG lights out!!!

Conclusion

This fight breakdown focuses on the boxing style of Gervonta Davis,

Providing insights into the techniques, strategies, and tricks he uses in his professional career.

While it doesn't delve into his personal background or motivations, I hope it gave you valuable information in a way that was easy to understand, so that you are able to incorporate his fighting style into your own repertoire.

Personally, I have found tricks used when he throws his jab the most useful,

But I still recommend at least trying everything to see what you do like, what you don’t like, and what works best with your style

Because, at the end of the day, everyone's style is different and what works for one won't always work for another.

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