Gervonta “Tank” Davis has given up his WBA 130 lb title, which is the one of the three WBA belts he held that anyone considered a legit title, and will keep his secondary “world” (aka “regular”) titles at 135 and 140 for the time being, according to ESPN.
Mike Coppinger also reports that Davis (25-0, 24 KO) will have to give up one of those, too, after he figures out what his next fight is going to be, and at what weight. This is part of the WBA relenting — against their will, really — on the absolutely absurd number of world titleholders they recognize across the sport. Boxing fans and media and everyone else remain rightly skeptical that this will stick long term, but the sanctioning body is making the moves at the moment, too, including vacating all “interim” titles, none of which had any legitimate reason to exist.
The 25-year-old Davis won the WBA 130 lb belt from Leo Santa Cruz last October, and his illegitimate 135 lb belt against Yuriorkis Gamboa at the end of 2019, and most recently, the illegitimate 140 lb belt from Mario Barrios in June.
The WBA’s 130 lb title situation will now come down to secondary titlist Roger Gutierrez and ex-interim titlist Chris Colbert, which is a good fight. They have until Sept. 15 to come to terms before a purse bid is ordered. If Davis had chosen not to vacate this belt, he would have had to face the winner at some point, but it seems “Tank” is likely done fighting at 130. There are bigger money fights at 135 and 140; whether he takes those is another question.
