- Gervonta Davis had not fought since beating Ryan Garcia in Vegas last April
- The 29-year-old showed signs of rust early on before imposing himself on Martin
- Davis has said that he would be willing to fight Garcia against but at 140 pounds
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis retained his title and extended his undefeated record with a devastating eighth-round knockout of Frank Martin on Saturday night.
The Americans squared off in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with an expectant crowd eager to see one unbeaten run come to an end.
Their prayers were answered in brutal fashion as Davis – who initially laboured against a competitive Martin – connected with a left uppercut before ending the bout with a crushing hook.
‘I was a little rusty, but it’s OK. I’m back,’ Davis said after the fight, reflecting on his more than a year away from the ring since defeating Ryan Garcia last April.
‘I feel as though that I ain’t warm up completely like I wanted to. Well, I did warm up, but I got cold as as the fight was going on before me, but it’s OK. No excuses.’
‘[Martin’s] footwork wasn’t bothering me,’ the 29-year-old added. ‘I knew that he was gonna tire down, so that’s what I was doing. I would just stand there, be a target for him just so he could tire himself out, and once he tired himself out, I’ll just start picking him apart.
‘I’ve been around for a long time. I’ve been training since I was seven years old, competing since I was eight. So it’s like second nature. It’s just about staying focused, making sure my mind is on the goal, and that’s always to come out on top.’
Davis was seen in a rather jovial exchange with his most recent combatant, Garcia, who had taken up a place ringside after the fight had ended.
The enigmatic, often controversial California native wore shirt emblazoned with the words ‘rematch me b*tch’ on the back. Garcia’s only defeat of his professional career came against Davis.
He has since rebuilt his career with a victory over Oscar Duarte before his stunning win against WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney. Their interaction has reignited speculation that a rematch could be on the cards.
Last month, Davis revealed that he would be open to fighting Garcia again but called for the bout to be a 140 pounds – a weight that Garcia failed to meet in his win over Haney.
Davis was pulled up on his intentions after taking his record to 30-0 on Saturday night and was asked whether the likes of Vasiliy Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson or Isaac Cruz were in his sights.
‘Most importantly, I want to just get back to the drawing board, get back in the gym and just stay focused,’ he said. ‘I felt that was a little rusty, but all them guys is on my radar.’