Boxing star Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis was once a protégé of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather but the two no longer speak.
They had a very public fall out which Davis moved on from and became a better fighter from, and, an even bigger star, both in America and worldwide.
Speaking on the Mr. Jay Hill Podcast Davis opened up on what happened with Mayweather:
“Once you get around someone you look up to (Mayweather), you realize they’re not who they portray themselves to be. It’s a let-down, and it hurts. I just go my own way and do my own thing. With Floyd, there were situations where he put me in lose-lose scenarios, like my first world title fight against Jose Pedraza. I was 16-0, 21 years old, hadn’t fought in seven or eight months, and wasn’t making much money—maybe $10,000 a fight. They told me if I didn’t fight him, I’d be shelved. I got evicted, had to sell my car. I was letting other boxers know what was happening, giving them game so they wouldn’t end up there. Now, when they say they want to fight me, it feels like betrayal.”
He added:
“I respect and appreciate him for what he did, but it was more like he gave me crumbs—like $10,000 or $15,000 to help my mom out of the hood. That’s not enough; she’d be back in the hood in months, and I’d be asking for more. I learned people can put you in a position where you always need them, feeding you just enough to keep you coming back. When I was signed to the same management as Floyd, they started taking over my career.”
Never good to hear these things but at least Davis has opened up on what happened with Mayweather and his promotional company.
Mayweather Promotions confirmed a new CEO Richard Schaefer last year but amid a boom time for the sport in 2025 and beyond, they have been very quiet.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis returns to the ring on March 1st against Lamont Roach in a mega event on Amazon Prime.
