“BOXING HAS SAVED MY LIFE”
Long before embarking on a road that would lead him to the precipice of boxing immortality, Gervonta Davis was a lost soul roaming the streets of a crime-filled section of West Baltimore, seemingly destined to become another tragic statistic.
Jail or death—those appeared to be the only life options for young men living in and around Davis’ rough neighborhood. A southpaw nicknamed “Tank” by an amateur coach for his large head, Davis spent time in foster care and group homes. Fortunately, with the help of one of his friends, Quaadir Gurley, Davis found a safe haven within the confines of The Upton Boxing Center’s gym at age seven. He quickly threw himself into the sport fists first.
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Gurley introduced Davis to his father, Calvin Ford, the man who would eventually become Davis’ longtime coach. The inspiration for the character, Dennis “Cutty” Wise on the popular HBO television series, “The Wire,” Ford guided Davis through a 206-15 amateur career that included winning a National Golden Gloves Championship in 2012, three consecutive National Silver Gloves crowns from 2006-2008, and two each in the National Junior Olympics gold medals, the National Police Athletic League, and the Ringside World Championships.
Two years before Gurley was shot and killed in 2013, Davis grieved the loss of Ronald Gibbs, a rising amateur boxer who was just 17 when he was stabbed to death while defending his sister during an argument. The following year, Angelo Ward, another promising amateur, was shot to death.
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“Before Coach Ford, I had no father figure because my father was in and out of jail. Angelo Ward, Ronald Gibbs and Coach Calvin’s son—they’re guys who died and were such a major influence on my life,” said Davis, a lifelong Baltimore resident who dropped out of high school to focus on his career, later to earn a secondary degree through a GED program.
“Actually, many young men I used to look up to are either dead or in jail. Whenever I fight, I feel like their legacy is going into the ring with me. It’s a big responsibility, but I’ll take that. There’s a lot of bad stuff that comes from Baltimore, but if they see that one person can do it, then the next one can do it, and so on and so on. The only thing that I can do is to bring light to Baltimore. Boxing has saved my life.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
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