Gervonta Davis is in a good place but swears by Frank Martin's “ass-whooping”.

AFTER a year out of the ring, Gervonta “Tank” Davis returns on June 15 and appears to be in a good place.

The 29-year-old will defend his WBA lightweight title against Frank Martin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Amazon Prime pay-per-view.

Davis, one of boxing's superstars, defeated Ryan Garcia in March 2023 in a modern heavyweight fight. His seventh-round stoppage cemented his reputation as a star attraction but problems outside the ring curtailed any momentum he gained from beating “King Ry”.

The November 2020 accident, which injured four people including a pregnant woman, resulted in a sentence last May of 90 days of house arrest, three years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Davis was then arrested for violating the terms of his sentence and ordered to serve the remainder of his sentence in a Baltimore jail. And yet, his name continued to be linked to several major fights from Shakur Stevenson to Teofimo Lopez.

Davis' coach, Calvin Ford, commented on how his hero has grown and is in a better place. Debate News he asked “Itangi” what was the reason for this self-improvement.

“I am among good people, so I am good,” he said.

“Staying out of trouble, that's a good thing. Staying outside,” he added.

Davis may not be everyone's cup of tea, but having him in the ring rather than away from it is good for the game. When “Tank” Davis' fight is in town, people take notice, celebrities take notice, and he's one of the few who can cross over into the mainstream. A boxing venue you don't often get the chance to visit. But the people of Baltimore are more important to Davis.

He says: “Many people participate.”

“I have never hidden my story and I think many people hear my story. I feel like a lot of people are interested in me.”

BN asked Davis what it's like to be a role model for those who gravitate towards him.

“I wouldn't say [it’s] I am an example, just me. Trying to be great… I don't know.”

Davis is a man of few words, but his performance in the boxing ring thus far has seen him undefeated in 29 bouts. Next up is Frank Martin, Derrick James trained lightweight but is still undefeated in 18 fights so far. Both boxers faced off at a press conference yesterday (May 4) in Las Vegas, and they didn't back down from throwing words at each other, which almost led to things getting out of hand.

Asked how the fight will end on June 15, Davis said, “Ass-hooping on site.”