SUMMARY
- Born and raised in a Christian family, Davis has now decided to follow the path of Islam.
- Gervonta Davis' conversion has been widely appreciated and welcomed by several different Islamic communities all around the world.
In a rather surprising series of events, American boxer Gervonta Davis has changed his name and religion. It has been known for the past few days that Davis is planning on converting to Islam. Born and raised in a Christian family, Davis has now decided to follow the path of Islam. As a part of the process, the reigning WBA Lightweight Champion has also changed his name.
The news about Gervonta Davis converting to Islam was revealed by the Swedish boxer Badou Jack. In a video shared by Jack, who has been raised in an Islamic household, Davis was seen reciting some prayers. However, in a recent video shared by DUS Dawah, an Islamic educational platform, Gervonta Davis’ new name was revealed.
Welcome to Islam brother @Gervontaa Alhamdulillah pic.twitter.com/mCQrqRtUZC
— Badou Jack (@BadouJack) December 24, 2023
According to DUS Dawah, Gervonta Davis has changed his name to Abdul Wahid. In the video, Imam Hasan Somali welcomed Davis to Islam and explained the reason behind his new name. He said, “The attribute that he chose the name that he chose as a Muslim is Abdul Wahid. It means the servant of the one from the names of Allah, the name of God is Al Wahid”.
Gervonta Davis chose the Muslim name Abdul Wahid (the slave of The One) today at Masjid Hidayah with Imam Hasan Somali & Raha Batts@hikmahpubs @RahaBatts @MasjidHidaayah @GtownMasjid pic.twitter.com/PtnfqIcG0Y
— DUS Dawah (@DusDawah) December 27, 2023
Gervonta Davis’ conversion has been widely appreciated and welcomed by several different Islamic communities all around the world. Besides Badou Jack, UFC welterweight fighter Belal Muhammad has also congratulated the American boxer and welcomed him to Islam. However, there have also been some critics who have questioned the real reason behind Davis’ conversion and raised doubts over his sincerity toward his new religion.
Gervonta Davis joins an elite list of boxers who have changed their names
Meanwhile, Gervonta Davis wouldn’t be the first boxer to have converted to Islam and changed his name. In fact, he is the latest addition to a list of some of the most elite boxers who have done the same. The first name that pops up is the legendary Muhammad Ali. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, the late Muhammad Ali was born originally as Cassius Clay Jr.
However, Ali converted to Islam after his first fight against Sonny Liston and adopted his new name. Besides Ali, American heavyweight legend Mike Tyson had converted to Islam and changed his name. ‘Iron Mike’, who considered Ali as his idol, converted to Islam during the time he was in jail due to a ra*e conviction. Mike also changed his name to Malik Abdul Aziz.
In the meantime, American lightweight boxer Devin Haney is a much more recent example of a boxer who converted to Islam. The WBC lightweight champion converted to Islam four years ago and has claimed that it has helped him to become more mature and disciplined. Therefore, Gervonta Davis has found himself in good company after his conversion.
