Frank Martin is ready: “The Ghost” wants to scare boxing champion Tank Davis in Las Vegas

Many believe Frank “The Ghost” Martin gets his chance too soon against WBA lightweight champion and boxing superstar Gervonta “Tank” Davis. However, one confident and undeniably competent challenger believes his June 15 date at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is his destiny.

The 12-round fight, plus undercard action, will stream on Amazon Prime.

Davis (29-0, 27 KO) is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today and a legitimate knockout artist. While Tank’s detractors point out the fact that he often gives away balls by not throwing enough punches, his next opponent sees things differently.

“He’s a patient fighter,” Martin (18-0, 12 KO) offered in a recent interview with The Sporting News. “He’s willing to give up rounds to find a big shot and then he’ll slip one in between a guy’s punches and things like that.

“But we saw him fight Isaac Cruz, and we saw that he can box. He’s not used to doing it – he doesn’t like to box – but he’s capable of doing it if he “When he looks for a big shot and gets a guy out of there, he plays the patient game.”

WATCH: Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin on Prime Video

Although he has only had 18 fights in his paid career, Martin has become a multi-dimensional pro. I asked the speedy southpaw how he would explain his fighting style to someone who had never seen him box before, then predict how that style might work against a seasoned champion like Davis?

“It depends on who I’m in front of, but I feel like I can lose a guy, I can turn him around, I can do a lot of different things,” Martin said with confidence. “I can show a lot of different looks and turn them into shots and all kinds of things. Since I’m fast, I can also hit a guy with shots that he doesn’t see.

“(Tank and I) have fought a lot, as you know, and I’ve fought guys with a lot of different styles. I’m a balanced fighter, I can do anything. It just depends on what comes up and I I’m going to execute the game plan that my coach prepared for me.”

If there’s a downside for Martin, it’s that he’s been very inactive leading up to the biggest fight of his career. His most recent outing was a baptism of fire victory over Olympic bronze medalist Artem Harutyunyan (UD 12) in July and that was his only fight in the last 18 months.

Martin doesn’t like being inactive and said that if it were his choice, he would “fight three or four times a year.” Predictably, it’s the business side of the game that bothers him, but the Detroit-born star isn’t too concerned about his lack of ring time.

“I stay in shape and I stay in the gym,” Martin said with a smile. “I’m always learning. Even when I’m not fighting, I’m training. That’s when I work on things, get better, because I don’t take a lot of time off.

“I didn’t stop coming to the gym after the Artem fight. I pretty much stayed there. I like to improve. There is always room for improvement. Even if I don’t have a date -you, I love working. I’m always locked in and trying to be a better version of myself.”

If Martin beats Tank, then he will reign supreme in a lightweight division that is loaded with talent. Last month, former pound-for-pound number one Vasiliy Lomachenko regained the IBF title with a brutal 11th round stoppage of Australian brawler George Kambosos Jr.

Although Martin admired the performance, the result was not a surprise.

“I thought the style would be a little overwhelming for Kambosos,” he said. “I actually had friends who bet against Loma. I told them, ‘Don’t do it,’ so they changed their bets. They ended up betting with him and won.

“I would love to fight (Loma). It’s a great fight. There are certain things that I do that he does too. I think it would be a super explosive fight. But I don’t know how many time Loma still wants.” to do it. He’s been fighting for a long time, but he still has a lot left in him, that’s for sure.

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To win the WBA lightweight title and hand Tank Davis his first professional defeat, Martin will have to put in the performance of his life. However, the challenger’s self-belief is visceral and he speaks with sincerity and confidence about what lies ahead.

“This win will mean everything,” Martin said. “It changes my life and my family’s life. I don’t have the opportunity just to get it; there is a purpose behind it. I’m not one of those fighters who is just happy to be in the present moment. I am ready to capitalize;

“I’m happy to be here, but I’m also ready to win. There’s a difference.”