Gervonta Davis got back to his roots in West Baltimore, handing out backpacks to hundreds of kids at the Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center. The boxing star teamed up with nonprofit Unlimited Potential for his yearly back-to-school campaign.
Kids danced and competed for prizes as Davis, known as "Tank," gave out school supplies. The event showed Davis hasn't forgotten where he came from, even as his boxing career takes off.
But Davis' upcoming fight with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has stirred up controversy in the boxing world. Some critics say Davis should be facing top-ranked boxers instead.
Former British champ Amir Khan didn't mince words about the matchup:
"Jake Paul is going to hurt Gervonta Davis. Davis is a little man compared to Paul. I think it's a very uneven matchup. This just shows that Tank is desperate to take a fight like this. Someday someone is going to get hurt badly. Nobody wants to play in the MMA cage, but they take boxing lightly and take it as a joke."
Khan worries the 40+ kilo weight difference will be too much for Davis to overcome. He thinks Davis will struggle to avoid Paul's punches given the size mismatch.
Nate Diaz, who lost to Paul recently, agrees the weight gap makes it an unfair fight. He predicts Davis will have to work much harder than Paul to win.
Some see the bout as a cash grab for Davis. But the criticism didn't stop him from showing up for the kids in his old neighborhood. As debates rage about boxing's integrity, Davis proved he's still committed to giving back to his community.
