“That’s the type of wins I like,” said Calvin Ford, Davis’s trainer. “When he’s putting it together, and showing his real talents.”
But Davis’s future also hinges on the outcome of a criminal trial, set to begin in February, on hit-and-run charges. Prosecutors in Baltimore allege that on Nov. 5, 2020, Davis ran a red light in his Lamborghini and crashed into another vehicle, injuring its four occupants. A judge in that case previously rejected a plea proposal that would have allowed Davis to avoid jail time.
Eleven days before Saturday’s bout, Davis was arrested in Parkland, Fla., and charged with battery, accused of striking a woman on the side of the head. Later, his girlfriend posted on Instagram that she and Davis had an intense argument but that nobody was hurt.
“While the emotions were running high, I made an unnecessary call to law enforcement,” her post read.
Davis pleaded not guilty last week.
The cases prompted Showtime’s Jim Gray, the in-ring interviewer on Saturday’s broadcast, to ask Davis how he could prevent derailing his own career.
“You said this week that the only one who can beat me is me. How do you avoid that happening?” Gray said.
Davis pledged to stay focused, and rely more heavily on people he trusts, like Haymon.
Inside the ring, Davis remains a reliable, efficient problem solver. After tensely contested early rounds, Davis widened his advantage with his signature style: low output, high precision, high power. García threw 345 punches, landing 55. Davis threw 239, but landed 99, including the overhand lefts late in Round 8 that compelled García to quit the fight.
