A former sparring partner of Gervonta Davis and Jake Paul has spoken out ahead of their controversial showdown later this year.
It was announced recently that reigning WBA lightweight champion Davis would lock horns with former YouTuber Paul on Friday November 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, with the event broadcast worldwide live on Netflix.
Paul had also been in talks to face two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua next but instead ‘The Problem Child’ will face a man who is eight inches shorter and nearly 70lbs lighter than him.
‘Tank’ Davis had been expected to clash with fellow countryman Lamont Roach Jr for the second time this year following their draw back in March, although the plans were shelved after a long period of negotiations came to a halt.
One man who has trained alongside both Davis and Paul during their respective professional careers is Brooklyn cruiserweight David ‘Flat Sparks’, who had several fights as a professional between 2014 and 2016. He trained in the Mayweather Gym alongside ‘Tank’ and was a sparring partner for Paul’s Mike Tyson fight.
Speaking on Let The Sparks Fly, Sparks made no mistake when asked if ‘Tank’s power will carry against a bigger man.
“If [Tank] catch Jake Paul with a clean shot, he’s very well capable of knocking him out. Do I think it’s gonna happen? I don’t think it’s gonna happen, but he’s very well capable of knocking Jake Paul out. He’s not too small. I seen Tank stop all his sparring partners. I’m talking about some dudes big like heavyweight, middleweight — Tank stopping them. If he catch a big man with a shot, he putting him out. I seen it with my own two eyes.”
On his experience sparring Paul, Sparks was also complimentary.
“My first sparring session with Jake Paul, I was sleeping on him … I was going light and my man J’Leon told me ‘you can’t play with this kid’ … And that’s when [Pau] caught me. And I said, ‘nah, I can’t play with him.’ … He can give shots and he can take shots.”
“When it comes to him and Tank, he’s gonna try to hurt Tank. They’re both gonna try and hurt each other. I think Tank’s best bet is use his boxing experience.”
Whilst ‘Tank’ has produced a number of highlight reel knockouts throughout the course of his glittering tenure, he could be entering unchartered territory when he faces Paul, especially considering the huge size and weight difference between the two men.