January 1st, 2024
By Abdallah Khabib Jallow
Gervonta Davis’ Muslim name, which he recently chose, has formalized his conversion to Islam. The undefeated boxer has chosen the name Abdul Wahid, which translates to ‘The Slave of The One’. Davis’ conversion to Islam took place on Christmas Eve and represents a significant step in his new personal and religious journey as a Muslim.
Davis isn’t the only noteworthy boxer to have converted to Islam. The most famous pugilist in the sport’s history was a Muslim, with Muhammad Ali’s name change being a focal topic in his infamous bout with Ernest Terrell, who insisted on referring to his opponent by his birth name, Cassius Clay.Another famous Muslim boxer is Mike Tyson, one of the most feared heavyweights of all time. Despite converting to Islam before his stint in prison in 1992, Tyson never formally adopted a Muslim name. However, there were rumors that he had adopted Malik Abdul Aziz as his name. Davis’ contemporary Devin Haney is also Muslim and, like ‘Tank’, is undefeated. Davis is 29-0 while Haney is 31-0. There have even been rumors of the pair facing each other in a future bout.
Four of Gervonta Davis’ recent opponents were unbeaten fighters prior to facing him. Ryan Garcia boasted a record of 23-0 before he locked horns with Davis. Garcia lost in Round 7 after being crippled by a body hot.
Similarly, Héctor García was 16-0 before being TKO’d in Round 9. Rolando Romero was also handed his first professional career loss by ‘Tank’, who TKO’d him in Round 6. Mario Barrios, another formerly unbeaten fighter, also tasted defeat for the very first time after Davis TKO’d him in Round 11.
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