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WBA regular lightweight champion Gervonta Davis has become the talk of the boxing world following his recent arrest. ‘Tank’ was recently arrested just days before his next fight against Hector Luis Garcia on January 7. Moreover, this was not the first time Davis had an altercation with the law.

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Despite this, renowned ESPN journalist Stephen A. Smith had high praise for Davis hours before his arrest, even comparing him to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

Stephen A. Smith compares Gervonta Davis to Mike Tyson

In a recent appearance on legendary trainer Teddy Atlas’ podcast, Smith was dissecting a potential fight between Ryan Garcia and Davis. He then stated that while Davis could not let Garcia bombard him with punches in a match, if Davis landed to knock him down, Garcia would not survive the 10-count. Moreover, he also called ‘Tank’ the Mike Tyson of the lightweight division.

I think Tank can take a punch. I’m not sure he needs to take an abundance of punches for Ryan Garcia with the quickness and the speed. I’m not sure but I do know this,” said Smith. “I saw Ryan Garcia get dropped and if he gets dropped like that against Gervonta Davis he’s not surviving. Nobody is surviving after Gervonta Davis catches you after ‘Tank’ Davis catches you. He’s the lightweight Mike Tyson as far as I’m concerned,” he added.

Read More: ‘Piece of Sh*t’ Gervonta Davis Arrest News Leaves Boxing World in Disgust Days Before Garcia Fight

This was certainly some high praise from ESPN’s highest-paid reporter. However, ‘Tank’ is currently in the public eye not for his talents in the ring but for his debacles outside it. Only time will tell if Davis can weather this storm coming his way.

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Why was Davis arrested days before his next fight?

According to TMZ, Davis was arrested on a domestic assault charge. The 2-division champion was taken to Broward County where he even posed for a mug shot. This was not the first time he has been arrested also had a prior domestic violence charge in 2020.

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The arrest might also put his next bout in jeopardy if ‘Tank’ isn’t cleared by the court before it. The worst case scenario is that Davis could face jail time which could dent his boxing career, including the Ryan Garcia fight if he gets convicted.

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What did you think about Stephen A. Smith comparing Davis to Mike Tyson? Let us know in the comments.

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