Gervonta Davis witnessed drug abuse as a youngster and survived an onslaught of gun violence around his Baltimore neighborhood that turned hearts dark.
Davis was 20 years into that life when he decided to get his neck tattooed, instructing the artist to inscribe a single word over his throat, seven letters that defined him: “Blessed.”
Hardened by his experiences, Davis will defend his World Boxing Assn. super-featherweight belt Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson against former super-bantamweight champion Hugo Ruiz in a Showtime-televised main event.