By Norm Frauenheim –
LAS VEGAS – Other than Tank Davis showing up, it was a news conference without much news.
Davis, missing in action for the for the so-called Grand Arrivals Tuesday, appeared twenty-four hours later, armed with familiar insults and profanity at the final formal newser for his lightweight title defense against Frank Martin Saturday night.
“I’m going to eff you up,’’ Davis said at the MGM Grand, which will stage its 100th fight card in a long, legendary run.
In so many words and gestures, Tank repeated the phrase ad nauseam. Only the eff never changed.
Martin, at least, delivered a clever counter.
“I’m glad Tank gave me the opportunity to kick his ass,’’ he said Wednesday.
From oddsmakers to fans, very few believe the 135-pound fight on Amazon Prime will play out quite the way Martin says it will.
Best guess, Martin winds up on his rear end midway through the fight, the main event on a solid card that includes David Benavidez in his light-heavyweight debut against former 175-pound champion Oleksandr Gvodzyk
But there is one notable exception. Former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. thinks Martin has a real chance. Spence has to think that. He’s Martin’s manager.
“He’s going to show why he’s the best 135-pouder in the world,’’ said Spence, who sat next to his estranged trainer, Derrick James, Martin’s trainer.
Spence and James split not long after the stunning loss to Terence Crawford last July in a controversy that included a lot of angry allegations about money.
Apparently, they don’t agree about much, other than Martin, who for the most part managed to keep his cool in the face of insults and aggressive gestures from Tank.
Davis kept walking toward Martin, who backed away. At one point, Davis appeared to throw an aggressive couple of gestures. Martin reacted, almost as if an altercation was about to begin.
But it was a feint from Tank, who ran away and laughed at Martin.
“When he came up here, he was shaking,’’ Tank said.
Meanwhile, Tank appeared annoyed at stories of a sparring session with Martin several years ago. According to some, Martin landed a left hand that got Tank’s attention.
It “clipped” him, according to one account.
“He ain’t clipped s—,’’ Tank said.
In the end, the newser and maybe the sparring were nothing more than talk.
“We were just talking,” Martin said. “It can go how ever he wants it to go.
“If he acts up you all gonna see him get knocked out. If he comes in and acts crazy, he’s going to sleep.”
