Gervonta Davis is unhappy with the promotion for his upcoming fight, which ultimately led to the boxing superstar skipping the MGM Grand Arrivals.
The WBA lightweight champion decided not to show up on Tuesday for the ceremony tradition that involves driving up to the MGM Valet area, entering the famous glass doors, and greeting fans. Davis had revealed his frustration about how Premier Boxing Champions portrayed the event.
Davis said, “The promotion for this fight has been a**. Now watch I don’t show up to the arrivals s*** now.”
Opponent Frank Martin was there, alongside co-featured fighters David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Fans turned out in force to greet Davis but ended up disappointed.
Before his decision not to follow through with the first part of fight week, Davis had seemingly been counting down the days on social media. But for some reason, on Tuesday, it all turned sour.
Trainer Calvin Ford was there and spoke on Davis’ behalf.
“We’re back in business. We’ve been waiting for this for a while, so we’re really excited to put on a great performance for the fans. That’s who we do it for,” said Ford.
“Watching ‘Tank’ in camp, it scares me how great he looks. He’s really showed maturity in the ring. He’s extremely focused. I want people to leave the arena saying how great this fight was.”
What will transpire next is anyone’s guess, as Davis first left Floyd Mayweather behind, and now there’s speculation he could do the same with Al Haymon. The revelation comes as Davis continues to hold links to fighting for Turki Alalshikh under the Riyadh Season banner.
Davis sounded out His Excellency for gifts in what was a joke on the face of it. However, since then, the whispers have become shouts as Alalshikh nears his first United States promotion on August 3.
Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov, with a massive undercard in two, is already delighted US fans ahead of the Los Angeles blockbuster, a place Davis has sold out before and remains a popular figure. Should anything develop and turn into a dissolution of the Davis and PBC partnership, there could be tough times ahead of Haymon.
Losing their top PPV star as Canelo Alvarez nears the end of his short tenure under Haymon would be a massive body blow. The current sub-plot ensures there will be no shortage of questions asked at the forthcoming press conference inside the MGM Grand.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
