Gervonta Davis | Ep 50 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

the king. We never tried, you would never tried. You ain't never tried to survive on the time with the best Welcome back Man, season two of All the Smoke. We got a real special guys, what's up with your brod each with a virtual handshake. I'm gonna tell you that I never told back I want to smoke. Welcome back to another addition of All the Smoke. We got a very special guest today, someone I'm a big fan of.

I'm a huge Mike Tyson fan. In this dude from the day he stepped on the scene reminded me of just a smaller version. He's an animal that jump in left hook knocks plenty of people out. Man. Welcome to the show, Thank Davis Man, Thanks for coming in, bro, thank you all for having man, no doubt, big fans here. We love what you're doing. You got a big fight coming up Halloween on Showtime pay per view. You ready

for that? Yeah, I'm definitely ready. You know, training each and every day, you don't pin on a great performance. You know, it's my first people fight. So he's definitely ready. Get you get that page. That pay per view money might be a little different. I heard. I don't know shit about it, but I heard that that pay per view money a little different. Yeah, it's crazy. I was. I was actually last fight against gam boy, um, and I've seen you go to work. A lot of a

lot of stuff went on. If I actually when he when he when he kind of towards Achilles, I kind of said something to Steve at the time. I say, man, I think he heard himself, and I knew he was gonna take advantage of How do you feel about your performance that fight? I actually I watched it. I watched a little bit of it. You um, I probably watched it probably like once you had a couple of weeks later and I turned it off. I think, yeah, that

wasn't my best performance. So that's why now I'm on my training camp to you know, Las Vegas, so I could be able to put on a better performance. You know, I think that was bad for my fans. You know, I'll put that high fought and things like that. So I'm definitely coming back stronger and better, you know, And this is definitely you know, I make up for my last fight. Us as athletes, though, we understand, bro, because like a win is a win, you know what I'm saying.

We we we we we didn't play games or we didn't play like ship and still was able to win by one or two points. So a win is a winning as a professional athletes, so we understand, we go back to the drawing board and come back better. So, Bro, we're gonna be fans. We're supporting you down. Thank you. I appreciate it. What is it like trying, like you said,

you've moved your camp to Vegas. What is it like trying to focus on this day of you know, Jack and I kind of caught to tell ind of it our NBA cris, but this social media world is fucking saying. So what is it like trying to manage all the outside noise knowing that you're preparing each and every fight to be your biggest fight you've ever had. It's really not. I was always like coming up, just night, just coming

up period. I was always that kid that no one the time to buckle down with things like that, Like I know when you know when it's time to get serious. You know, I know how to focus, you know, no matter what's going on around me. That's what made me so special. While I came so far and you know, things like that, me coming up, I had a lot of people older than me, what's already in the streets

and things like that. So and um, I watched my coach and them tell them, give them advices and things like that, and they still done it and and they want him getting killed. So I think that was, you know, um, the best part you know of of me, because you know me just be able to you know, stay focused, you know, and saying it as a young age. So when it's time like this, now, you know, I could be able to stay focused no matter what's going on outside the world. On the outside of the world, but

once something locked in, I'm locked in. Absolutely. You mentioned it a little bit, obviously, losing people along the way rough childhood in Baltimore. Um, take us back to your childhood and and and what the scene was like and what actually inspired you to get into boxing. Coming up normal, just uh in a city kid. You know, mother followers

on drugs and things like that. And um, you know my mother left me, left us in the house by herself, you know, and uh protective service they came grad us and things like that when they split us up, you know, and once my grandma ford to get us back. You know. Um, I was always aggressive one I was younger, you know, so I was much more aggressive than my my oldest brother. You know. Um, I was always fighting a lot. You know.

I used to fight for my brother, you know, because we was the new kids on the block and we were brought up under our grandma. We didn't have like our mother and father. So it was like stuff that we had like reboxes and people had like kids had drawings and nikes and things like that. So well, I always used to fight. I used to fight in school. So one time I was fighting in front of my house and my my uncle so happened to walk out the door, ain't seeing me fighting, So um he took

me to the boxing gym. You know how were you not to cut you off? How were you at that age? I probably was about I want to say, like seven. I was seven. It must have been a flawless victory. Yeah, So it was fighting things like that. So it took me to the gym. And when I was going to the gym, I was getting It wasn't really about the

fighting or boxing at that time. It was really about, you know, me getting that love from love at the gym that I wasn't getting at home because my grandma she was you know, she was she she was moving around too much and things like that, so she didn't have time for us. So I just got that love. I got that farther figure. I had other kids and the gym, like brothers and things like that. So I was always fighting in the gym too. So I just grew up and you know, um just they started being family,

you know. And I was wondering a lot, you know, because I was I was still fighting in school. So it was time that you know, when we're fighting at school, that make a spall in the gym, like we gotta fight the big kids in the gym. I was getting so good that they was telling me like, no, we can't do that with you, youre just gonna have to stay outside, like stay out the gym. Yeah that's what I used to that cry and things like that. I

just loved the gym. And you're like, I used to get out of school at two thirty and I go I wouldn't even go home. I go straight to the gym. And the gym don't open to like four or thirty or five o'clock. So I used to sleep outside the gym before it open. They used to like it was a daycare right uh next door. So they used to call the police on me and like this kid out here homeless and things like that. But you just couldn't wait to get the gym. Yeah, yeah, I just couldn't

wait to get to the gym. Or I used to beat the people that opened the gym up, like even if they came people, I used to beat them there like I was working there a something like, I just loved it. That's what's something, man. You found a sense of you know, family and home and and you adapted to it. Yeah. So I'm kind of similar to my mom. My mom was around. My mom worked a lot, so my grandmother raised me too. And I know what basketball

did for my life. You know what, it took me a lot of places to change my whole family life. I wouldn't be able to do the things I have, the life I live if it wasn't for basketball and not And you know, I appreciate the game. It's boxing the kind of the same way, which it's the same way for you, Like if it wasn't for boxing, You've seen a lot of things. Was able to do a lot of things for different people because of boxing. Yeah, boxing definitely, you know, play a big part in my life.

Like if it wasn't for boxing, I don't know why I'll be at you know, because you know, it ain't too many people big in my family. The people that you know I started with in the gym, you know, they eventually got killed in the streets. I can't help a lot of people. I used to. I used to come outside and see like people driving cars and wanted because my grandmother had a van, but besides that, nobody else had a cart. I used to wonder like it I am, I am I gonna be able to drive

when I get older and things like that. So box and definitely be a what I would say, be a big part of my life if it is my life and things like that because it help you, you know, calm down and challenge your your anger someone else like inside the gym and started going outside the door and just doing anything. You know. So, and this is while I'm from It is a small city, so it's easy to get in trouble there, so you can focus in Baltimore,

you can focus anywhere. So you developed a real close personal friendship and and almost mentor father figure friendship with your coach and trainer. Uh, Calvin, did you meet him early on or what part of your what did you meet him? I met Calvin around by when I first thought first boxing, but Calvin I used to train with Calvin Calvin son, Calvin Soun trained me started me off. He is his son is one of the guys that you know got killed too. So his son, his son

was training me. And we had another guy named Ramon Manley, That's who. That's who cal was like holly On because he was one of everything. It was from Baltimore, so he was the only one going through d C everywhere

and beating people like top notch people. He asked me another one that got killed, so um him having Ramon and his son was training me, so they used to always go back home and like his son used to always tell Calvin about me, but Calvin was like, I was too young, so he was like, I'm not worrying about him right now, I worring about Ramon because he's traveling. So m Ramon was one of everything, and mom got locked up for robbery or something. He tried to rob

somebody want him getting caught. So he was gone for about like five years. So now it's me. Now I'm ten years old and I'm start winning everything every like going places and things like that. So man Calvin grew up on. We grow up on first by me just winning us always together. So now I stopped going to his house. I started sleeping over this house and watching boxing. He used to make me watch boxing like till like three in the morning, and I'll be falling asleep. He

attacked me and wake me up. Make sure that you know, if you believe it, you can achieve it. And that's where he always he always taught me, and that's why I go by till this day. That sounds similar. It sounds a lot like you know Marviously, Mike Tyson and custom Model. You know what I mean, where he found that mentor father figure, that that that believed in him and and made him believing himself and and it turned

out beautiful. Now you've spoken a lot already in this interview about I mean, we know your career, you're undefeated, You've obviously thrown hands your whole life. Is there anybody from the second grade on who's never got you? Uh? It was? It was one time, one time, one time in the street fight, I was fighting. We because we used to. I used to always fight a lot, so I got a little older, but coming to Highlight, to like the the sixth grade to the ninth grade, I

used to fight a lot. So one time we was fighting these group of boys and one and my uncle called me. So when my uncle called me, I ran to the um. I ran to him and it it was like, we're up here like fighting. So I had to hire him and try. I hired him and try to get back. So when I heard and got back, my two homeboys said I ranked on him, so they bank they jumped me. So when they jumped me, they jumped me. So Um, the next day I'm like, I'm telling my uncle because

my uncle stand with me. Now and my grandmother crib So I taught my uncle like, um, these boys jump me. So I'm going to school and I'm whenever when I see I'm gonna knock him out like that. So they people might call you from school. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gat my heads up so soon I walked down. Soon as I walked in the building and I'm going towards the class, I see one of the guys. So when I see one of the guys like he's yeah, he started talking and I just took my Like when i'm mad,

I'm real aggressive. So when um I've seen him, I just take my bag off and I just hit him in them out. But I actually he actually beat me, but I started to fight out. So I was like, I don't care, like it won't happen again, you know, you know, like you know, smaller than everybody, so coming to school. So yeah, so once that first that first punch went off, I ain't really care if you whoop me. After that, I got my leg off. I gotta get my back. I got back. Yeah. So you're obviously from Baltimore.

Rep Baltimore to the full. They're very proud of you, um or warding you with the Key to the City in a parade, did a coin flip of the Ravens game. Tell me what Baltimore means to you? Baltimore made a lot, you know, just I don't think I had this mindset if it wasn't for Baltimore, because Baltimore, it's like it's a tough city. You know, if you can make it through Baltimore, you know, you can make it through anyway. If you know how to move through Baltimore, you can

move through it anyway, you know. So it just gave me that mindset. I think, you know me saying not saying it's all bad, but I'm from the n City, so I see stuff deadly and things like that. So it just gave me that I wouldn't be me if I wasn't from Baltimore. Gave me that personality, you know

what it's saying. It was sounding like, um, I forget the saying, it's like what you've been through it the city, make your breaking Like, I wouldn't be me if I won't even move the way I moved it, if it wasn't for the inner city, and if yeah, if I wouldn't make sure where you are to come to date, toughest fight in your mind up to this point in

your career. I think there's the toughest you know, um opponent up to date because you know, um he had I want to say, he's he had thirty seven wins and you know one loss and things that day at four time world champion, So um, it's a tough He's a tough Messican. So I'm gonnalieving he's gonna bring his best. So I think this, Yeah, there's definitely the toughest opponent. He's busy with their hands. Um, most satisfying knockout up to your point, up to this point in your career.

I want to say for Drasa because it was my first world title. You know he was he was another undefeated Puerto Rican, So I think that was my my toughest knockout. Any boxes you look up to, not really look up to, but you know, take pointings from him as Lamont Peterson, Anthony Peterson top on that, um Floyda Millweather for sure and Adrian Brown. A lot of people could probably compare you to a little Tyson and he did an I you did an I G live with Tyson recently. What was that like doing I G um

a lot. What Tyson I seen when I first when we first started talking, I've seen that. You know, he still got that anger built up in him, like uh, like he'd been through something. He's still trying to believe it, find a way to relieve it. That's that's why I got from it, you know. Um. But he overcame a lot, you know he I think a lot of people. Well where I got from it, I don't know really for sure, but when I got from it, you know, um that you know, he put his life into boxing, you know,

for belts and things like that. You know. Um, Ever, but he doesn't mean nothing to him now, you know, he rever. He rever, you know, fight for the money, whereas though he could he could be more you know, um stable and things like that. That's where I got from it. You know, I probably I'm probably wrong, but that's what I got from And that's what you know

I was looking. We all we all fight some demons that we all fight in the demons, you know, not just Mike, not just anybody, you know what, We're all fighting something in us in certain parts of life. But at the end of the day, like you said, when every I didn't see Mike on a lot of these shows. I watched this podcast too, and Mike, you know, and that that that's just a part of being a man and growing. You know, I can I can imagine me playing basketball, you know, and how physical the game is.

Not gonna imagine boxing, you know, walking away, walking away from basketball, my body fears different. You know, I still have that adrenaline and want to go play and still be physical. But I got a channel that now because my life is different, you know what I'm saying. I know that's that's that's not even compared to how boxing is. From fighting somebody for ten fifteen years and having just

all of a sudden just not so. You know, I commend guys like you and Mike and boxing period who are able to go in the ring, try to test somebody our head off, but then come out and be a good model sense and somebody that people look up to. Yeah, it's definitely hard, you know, just just training, prayers on what There's everything you know, um like evolved with boxing, you know, leading up to the big fights, even the fight that you know, the lights, that the crowd and

the opponent, the judges and things like that. You know, it just you gotta be you got you gotta be a strong person. And then you know that's not even to mention all, like I said earlier, all the outside distractions, you know what I mean, people, people trying to come in your circle, females trying to pull fast one. So it's a whole lot of you know, that's one thing

I want to try to game my sons with. You know, my sons are eleven years old, but this is a whole different beast out here, just the way the world is reading and how it's you know, the games are played, and to be able to keep a tight circle and be able to stay focused on the task at hand is always man definitely hats off. Mike also mentioned that

you're his favorite current boxer. How does that make you feel when you have a legend, uh, you know, speaking that highly on you, It feel great, you know, it just feels it's like it's just, um, I still I'm not far on far as far as like you know, big, you know, so it's still like I'm still starting out and things like that. So just having him, you know, saying things like one of the greats, and I remember when you know, um, they called the great shout I forgot.

I think it was after a fight or something, and it was calling like, um, they called Mike Tyson out, they called holy Field and it was somebody else I think Leonis Lois. And when they called Mike Tyson, the crowding crazy. So just having him just say like, I'm wanted his favorite fighter, it means a lot, you know, it means that I'm I'm definitely on the right track Mike's you know, since we're talking about Mike, he's training

to get back in the ring. What are your thoughts about him and Roy Jones Um potentially fighting at the end of the Yeah, it's gonna be crazy. It's gonna definitely be crazy. I'm definitely gonna be watching, Yeah for sure. July teen, two thou fourteen, you took a picture with Floyd, signed your phone case and said future champ. What was that like, Like I said, another experience where you know, an all time great it is giving you praise? What

was that like back in two thousand fourteen? And then everything to come full circle now that you know you're under Mayweather promotions. I always live in a moment, so uh, around that time, I already then, you know, really wasn't.

I was grateful to being you know that his presence, but far it's like from from just leading up to me signing to what from Maywell Promotion, I was saying that I was gonna, I was gonna, you know, even before he went to jail, you know, I was saying that I was signing what the owner Pomona I would

ever signed what was you know, Maywell Promotions. And before that, I was saying, man, my coaches, I mean, man, my coach calviing Ford, we was talking about um about signing with out before we signed with Floyd, and everything was playing out as you know we were saying it. So it just I feel again, I feel like I'm on the right track. I'm doing the right things. I have right people in my corner and things like that, and you know, um, I'm undefeated, so we're doing the right thing.

Has your relationship grown though, like since you since you with in my note, Like, yeah, it was cool before y'all actually start doing business together, But how has your relationship grown? You know since? Because I've seen him at the fight here in the land of your last fight, I seen him in the rain with that I can remember what what um what kind of was It was like a twenty thousand dollar jackety had all which is

all glass. Oh my god. But how your relationship grown, you know, since y'all start doing business together, relationship growing a lot. You know, just at first I did really know him like that, you know, So it was it was like like if I don't really know y'all shot away from you, like I'm really quiet and things like that. But um it's it's like, uh, I follow in something born. I always say, like because he had sons that that

you know, don't box and umur boxing. I was around him a lot of times, you know, when he were traveling and when he first saw me, you know, so I was with him probably like seven So he just you know, he more hands on things like that, like he'd be like you said, the fight, he was in the corner, you know, he was dan ever like he was my coach or something. You know, he was in the rain. You know. So I believe that. I think that's that's best for me, I think because it give

me the advantage over a lot of other fighters. Yeah. Yeah, do you feeling the pressure, Like you said, you pay per view now you know what I'm saying. That it's a big fight for you. You're fighting, you're fighting a four time champ um. You're feeling the pressure about this fight than any other fight. I had pressure, but I want I say that it's always I challenged that I

make it a good pressure. You know, I don't. I don't let it, you know, take a toll on me, because I've seen a lot of fighters slip up, you know, because they let the pressure. You know, Whay I'm down and things like that. You know, so far as the only pressure with me that I say, like I have been on my show, that the performance that I want to put on, you know, I want to I want to give best performance I can possibly have. You know, that night because of my first paper, Boston was off

for some months and things like that. So I definitely want to get the fans. You know, I gotta saying that I got it goes. I make love of pressure. When they gave me the ball in the four quarters and they thought it was pressure, I made love to it. You know what I'm saying that. You know, that's that that's basically what we do. A lot of people don't

have that. A lot of people crumble under pressure. So if you if you can, you know, deal with you know, controlled it and things like that underpressure and you special exactly absolutely. I have three sons. I don't know how many kids my my co host has, but we're father you have. You had your first daughter in two thousand eighteen? How did that change your life? I changed my life

by you know, just being more patients. You know, I seem to you know, rush things before I had a child, and things like that, and you know, just going thwards the same her mother, you know, um and that pain and stuff like that. You know, it just made me appreciate, you know how more and things like that, and far as a person, had changed me by you know, having more patient, but far as a fighter, I'm always going to be a fighter. So I know I was turning

on and off around her. You know, when I'm with her, I'm more soft. But when I'm like in a brain, go outside more, you know. Oh now, but what about when she turns fifteen sixteen seventeen eight teen, wants to start dating? What? What? What? What? What tank is she gonna get? I'll be more understand, would like like um understand how more like talk? I wanted to be to come talk to me before she had talked to someone else.

You know, I want to be that that far. I don't want to shy away from me, you know, I don't want to be hard on him, but she knows. I wanted to know that. You know, it's always right and wrong, and you know, discipline I got, I got, I got five girls, bro, So I I understand that, you know, I just I always wanted to be a point where we had to understand where you can come talk to me am everything anything. Don't feel like you can't talk to me about it, you know what I'm saying.

So that's that's a great way to look at it. But being away from your daughter training doing this pandemic, how has it been? It's been hard to being away from my daughter. You know, she actually heard she sleeps, but just you know, being away from it, like because this is my first time been in camp so long and far away, so just been away from it. It was a lord touchy. But I know what I'm up you know, up against you know I know that I got pay per view. You know, I know I'm fighting

a tough opponent. So really I know how to lock in. I know how to shot away from everything. I know how to understand what I'm I'm into. You know, that's what's best part about me, Like I know a fool around, but when it's time to lock in, you know it's time to lock in now. Yeah, that's that's another thing. You know. So you you mentioned it earlier, but you've had a tough time making one thirty year past couple

of fights. Um has your diet change or the fact that your training camp has been longer or almost two times as long as your normal training camps. How is that played into Because you said you're sitting comfortable right now, you don't have a problem getting down to that one on fight night camp been you know, I don't think it's gonna be a hard time for me and make wait. You know, as far as the bubble wise, I don't know about the bubble. I've never been there, but they

said that it's track. So but now now I feel like I can making I'm making it easily. Uh, I'm walking around close to wait. You know, if I if I wanted to make way two days from now, I can make it. And things like that. You know, I know people it's definitely whining about me making way and that's the big factor. But and there's a penalty, so if I don't know what it is, but I know it's some money in bold, so you don't want to

find out. I'm definitely made the weight. So obviously since your last fight, the world has changed, um, not only with the pandemic, social justice, the whole nine. We're somewhat slowly but surely starting to come back to some sort of normalcy. Um. This will be the first fight back with fans. This would be your first fight on pay per view. Tell me what it's gonna be like to know that you're gonna put on the show for the first time in front of fans. I'm oneting a person

that I'm grateful, you know. I'm grateful that it's me that's, you know, the first person that's bringing it back. I'm just soaking it all in. I'm just appreciative, you know. That's why I'm working hard each and every day, you know, so I could be to pin on a great performance and things like that, you know, And I'm and I'm young. I'm twenty five years old, so I'm definitely you know, still learning and things like that. And I'm just happy to be in the position I am right now. I'm

thankful for my team to beigg say it. This guy should be paper viewing things like that. So far as my my get back to them, I want to put on a great performer. I want to make wait the first time and things like that. Your top five fighters in the history, I want to say, uh, Floyd Mayweather, Sugar, Ray Lenox, m Mike Tyson m hm, putting out man sweep pee Sweetie sweepy um and Pride and pride and Pride had that movement I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

for sure. When it's all said and done, what do you want them when you're done with the sport of boxing? What do you want them to remember most about you? I want to be one of them greats, but I wanna I want to I want to have an impact Wes though, something like change something like not like Floyd, but I want to change it far as I want to have a great impact on the sport, like be great,

be one of the greatest. But I also want to be able to, you know, live outside at the boxing you know, I want to be able to be that that person, like I don't want to be banged up after a fight. Or anything. I'm after my career and things like that. I want to be able to get out successful. I want to be able to retire young and eiven. If I retire you or come back, I won't be able to you know, um, come back on when I want to and not one because I don't

have enough money and things like that. Because I have a family, I had my own life outside of Boston. So I always want to be looked at one of them guys that you know, Um that's took care. So just be one of the great in the sport and outside this sport. Javonte Davis, Man, we appreciate your time. Good luck Halloween night, October one, San Antonio, Texas to Alamo Dome. If you need essay protection away. Good luck, bro, no doubt we're big fans man. Good luck the rest

of the way. Man. We appreciate your time today. That's a wrap all the smoke season two. Thank Davis little talk to us before his big fight coming up on Halloween. You can catch us on Showtime Basketball YouTube in the I Heart platform. We'll see y'all next time. Pace m HM TV taught me how to dream. It was a wife jacket, h I don't think it can be an artist and not touch people. M hm.