Calvin Ford is the WBA Lightweight Champion Gervonta Davis‘ boxing trainer. He was arrested just before New Year’s Eve 2024. In an interview, Ford’s business colleague, Kenny Ellis, alleged that he was detained in Baltimore on assault charges. He did, however, clarify that Calvin was not guilty of any misconduct. Is Ford still in prison?
Calvin, who has a history of criminal charges (drug racketeering), was imprisoned for ten years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, after being released from jail, he has gone clean about his past and is now working as a boxing teacher at the Herring Run Recreational Center.
His life story and attitude influenced the character Dennis “Cutty” Wise in HBO’s ‘The Wire.’ However, Ford is most known for his role as the coach of American boxer Gervonta Davis. He kept Davis away from harmful influences and helped him become a boxing champion, defeating opponents such as Ryan Garcia, Isaac Cruz, and Mario Barrios.
Is Calvin Ford Still In Jail After Being Arrested And Charged?
Calvin Ford was arrested in Baltimore in late December 2023 on suspicion of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. According to reports, the warrant was issued in Las Vegas, but he was arrested in Gervonta’s hometown. Later, he was moved to Las Vegas to face the alleged allegations. If convicted, he faces two to twenty years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
There is no information on Ford’s bail or any judicial proceedings. On January 1, 2024, Davis’ friend and co-trainer, Kenny Ellis, said that “he’s been falsely accused” in an interview with Fannon International Boxing Channel. Ellis denies any misconduct in a 15-minute video, claiming to have been with Ford the whole time. Furthermore, if the claims were accurate, why wasn’t he detained alongside him? Later, he said that the truth will be revealed shortly.
Calvin Ford’s arrest happened only a few days after Gervonta, alias Tank, converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name “Abdul Wahid” on December 24, 2023. Gervonta Davis was freed from the Baltimore prison on July 14, 2023, after serving 44 days. He pleaded guilty to accusations of running a red light and colliding with a vehicle, injuring four people, including a pregnant mother.
Ford Was Imprisoned for Ten Years for Drug Offenses
Calvin Ford was 21 years old when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges in 1988. He was a lieutenant for a drug trafficking network in Baltimore, where he oversaw activities directed by Warren Boardley and Christopher Burrows. While in prison, he met Reggie Gross, a former heavyweight boxer who fought Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno, who was sentenced to life in prison for three murders in 1989.
Ford decided to pursue his boxing love as a professional career at the urging of Gross. He was 31 at the time of his release, so he decided to become a boxing instructor instead. However, he had several difficulties first working as a dishwasher and subsequently as manager at the seafood restaurant Phillips Foods. He then became a boxing teacher at the Herring Run Recreational Center, thanks to the encouragement of his buddy Ellis.
Calvin Ford’s Son Death
Quaadir Gurley, Ford’s son, was shot and killed on July 21, 2013, in the Donnelly Homes housing complex in North Trenton. At the time of his death, he was the father of six children. He formerly resided in Baltimore before relocating to New Jersey with his mother. Quaadir then requested his father [Calvin] to watch after Gervonta Davis.
“I need you to stay with Shorty [Davis] because you’ll be a good role model for him.”
Calvin’s closeness with the future boxing champion was likely bolstered by the fact that he had known Gervonta since he was seven years old. It was a similar story for the boxer, who considered him as a father figure. Gervonta Davis lived with his grandmother while his mother battled drug addiction and his father was in prison. So he’d remain and practice with Ford, who guided him and kept him out of trouble. According to him,
“Calvin was always making sure that I was on the track and whoever went against me, Calvin was standing beside me.”
