Stark Comparison With Floyd Mayweather: Maidana Glove Controversy Draws Gervonta Davis’ Wrath
Gervonta Davis is no stranger to controversy, especially when it involves his former mentor and promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jr. The lightweight champion’s ire was once again ignited by an online comparison between his current situation and a notorious incident involving Mayweather and Marcos Maidana. The mere mention of Mayweather’s name was enough to set off a fiery response from Davis, who is gearing up for his first fight of the year against Frank Martin on June 15 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Gervonta Davis: Gloves or No Gloves, ‘Tank’ Will Shoot
One social media user drew parallels between the events leading up to the 2014 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Maidana and the current scenario with Gervonta Davis. The user highlighted how Mayweather and his team outsmarted Maidana by catching him attempting to use horse-hair gloves with little to no padding, suggesting that Mayweather’s sharpness and support system were unparalleled. The tweet read, “Floyd truly was a smart fighter with a great team. He caught Maidana trying to come into the fight with horse-hair gloves with little to no padding. If Floyd would have lost and blamed it on gloves, they would’ve called him an excuse-maker.” The user then compared this to Deontay Wilder’s glove complaints against Tyson Fury.
The implication was clear: the user hinted that Davis, now operating independently, lacks the astuteness and support that Mayweather enjoyed. They even suggested that Davis might have made a mistake in choosing Frank Martin as his next opponent, implying that Martin could potentially defeat him.
Provoking the ‘Tank’
The tweet thread then led to the user addressing Gervonta Davis directly. Perhaps the user intended to highlight the kind of support the now-independent Davis lacks compared to Mayweather or to imply that Davis falls short in astuteness. They tweeted, “I’m not going to lie @Gervontaa, I think you f**ked up picking Frank; he might stop you.”
However, the warring WBA lightweight champion was quick to respond. “Every time he posts he’s looking at his body…. dude just happy he looks in shape for the summer; he’s getting his a** beat…,” Davis retorted before deleting his response. It’s unclear why Davis chose to delete his reply, but given his usual behavior, it’s not shocking either.
Tampered Tales
Before the first fight with Marcos Maidana on May 3, 2014, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his team reportedly objected to the type of gloves ‘El Chino’ had picked. The padding in Maidana’s Everlast gloves had apparently piqued the American’s side. After rounds of talks, it was decided that the pair of gloves Maidana preferred would not be acceptable. However, a different pair from the same brand with a similar style was permissible.
Similarly, from their rematch to the trilogy fight’s lead-up, Deontay Wilder reportedly raised issues with the gloves Tyson Fury used. Through videos and statements made on social media, Wilder seemingly alleged that ‘The Gypsy King’ tampered with the gloves. However, by then Wilder had already lost the fight, and many chalked up the issue to him being a sore loser.
The user said, “Floyd truly was a smart fighter with a great team. He caught Maidana trying to come into the with fight horse-hair gloves with little to no padding. If Floyd would have lost and blamed it on gloves, they would’ve called him a excuse-maker.”
The Mayweather-Davis Virtual Fracas
Given the kind of virtual fracas Mayweather and Davis are involved in, such insinuations from users might only further provoke Tank. Such comparisons need a reality check as well. When it was time to face the music, Marcos Maidana, even with the last switch-over of gloves, gave Mayweather Jr. one of the toughest fights of his career. Per CompuBox details, Maidana hit ‘The Money’ more times than any of his opponents in his last 38 fights.
As Gervonta Davis prepares for his upcoming bout against Frank Martin, the tension between him and Floyd Mayweather remains palpable. The lightweight champion’s fiery responses and swift deletions reveal the deep-seated animosity between the former mentor and his protégé.
