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Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson match up to make one of the most intriguing style clashes in the sport.

Davis is a knockout puncher, Stevenson a defensive master. Should a fight happen soon, it would be a lightweight unification bout with two undefeated records on the line. Despite the massive intrigue, it has failed to materialise.

Fans had reason to be hopeful earlier this year when ‘Tank’ told Boxing News that Stevenson was on his hit-list for the future, but he has now seemingly had a change of heart.

Gervonta Davis Performs Major U-Turn On Fighting Shakur Stevenson

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Speaking to the media at the press conference to officially announce his March 1 fight against Lamont Roach Jr, Davis was asked if he was still interested in the fight and said he gains nothing from facing his championship rival.

“For what? What has Shakur done in the sport? He hasn’t done nothing. The young ones looking better than him. Keyshawn looking way more better than this n***a. Y’all keep screaming his name, he hasn’t done nothing. F**k y’all keep saying his name for?”

Davis then dismissed the idea that some would see the move as him being ‘afraid’ of Stevenson, who returns to the ring on February 22 against Floyd Schofield.

“Afraid of what? Us fighters, if we’re afraid of somebody it gotta be somebody hitting us and hurting us. He don’t have no offence. Everything is defence. Defence only win in defence and football. That s**t don’t win in boxing.”

With the big puncher from Baltimore promising to retire at the end of 2025 after three more fights, fans will hope Shakur’s name re-enters in the mix before then.

British fighter Liam Walsh has called on Gervonta “Tank” Davis to consider fighting Vasiliy Lomachenko and Shakur Stevenson before bowing out of the sport.

Ahead of his WBA lightweight championship fight with Lamont Roach on March 1, Baltimore’s Davis announced his intentions to retire from the sport after 2025 during a press conference in New York on Tuesday.

Walsh, who lost to Davis in three rounds in 2017, said that he wants to see his former ring mate take on the best 135 pounders before retiring next year.

Tank came out the other day and said he’s gonna retire after 2025,” Walsh told Pro Boxing Fans. “Will that happen? We don’t know but I’d like to see Tank fight Lomachenko. Teofimo is probably too big now but I want some of the big fights.

Gervonta 'Tank' Davis next fight: Will Shakur Stevenson or | Desfrute da  emoção das apostas com a gbet - windowr.ir

“I know he’s beaten Ryan Garcia, which was huge business which made him look a lot better, but I always fancied Tank in that fight anyway. But that wasn’t a Tank-Loma or a Tank-Shakur.”

Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), was close to fighting IBF 135-pound titlist Lomachenko, 18-3 (12 KOs), in November but the fight fell through after the Ukrainian decided to spend time with his family instead.

Walsh, however, believes it’s not too late to make the fight happen next year.

“I’m more interested in Tank-Lomachenko. I’m being honest,” he said. I got excited when I heard that one. And for whatever reasons, from what I’m reading, which we don’t know, it wasn’t Tank’s fault, but the fight didn’t go ahead. I hope it does happen.

I still think the fight can happen but I don’t know what he’s got left. I obviously don’t know what his ambition is now. It seems like he’s going the other way because at one point, he was possessed with being an undisputed champion.

Gervonta Davis No Longer Has Respect For Shakur Stevenson: "We Ain't Cool  Anymore"

“I don’t think he necessarily holds that mindset anymore, but I might be wrong. I don’t know him personally. I’ve been a massive fan of Lomachenko when I watched him myself in Vegas years ago.”

On fighting Stevenson, Walsh said he anticipates a top-class encounter between Davis and one of the sport’s best opponents.

“I think Shakur could beat anybody. I think Shakur is good. I like him a lot. I think he’s brilliant.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached 

Jake Paul didn’t take long to answer Gervonta Davis’s latest callout for a boxing match in 2025.

Jake Paul is fresh off his latest boxing win over heavyweight legend Mike Tyson earlier this year. After a back-and-forth first round, Paul controlled most of the exchanges from Round 2 on, although he admits he carried Tyson over the final minutes of the fight.

Paul has plenty of options for his next fight after passing his latest test and is expected to get a step up in competition for his next bout. He’s scheduled to meet with a former WBA champion to potentially talk about making a fight come to fruition.

In the meantime, Paul has a potential adversary in Floyd Mayweather pupil Gervonta Davis, who is set to face Lamont Roach Jr. in his latest WBA lightweight title defense in March. In a recent interview, Davis attempted to add himself to the Paul sweepstakes by calling him out.

It took mere hours for Paul to issue a fiery response to Davis on social media.

Jake Paul demands Floyd Mayweather puts 50-0 professional record on the  line in potential fight | The Independent

Jake Paul ramps up beef with Gervonta Davis over potential fight

In a recent tweet, Paul responded to Davis’s latest message.

“Floyd’s little son calling me out?… come on little tank, you know better. I saw you pretend like you didn’t know who Amanda Serrano & Katie Taylor are,” Paul tweeted.

“Do better & maybe 1 day I give u a platform to shine again after that budget basic press conference you just had.”

Davis and Roach were in Washington DC last week for their first pre-fight press conference ahead of their March 1st booking. As of this writing, Davis hasn’t responded to Paul’s social media tirade.

Davis, a natural lightweight boxer, would have to add substantial weight to make a fight with Paul come to fruition. Paul’s matchup with Tyson took place at heavyweight, and he’s competed at cruiserweight for the majority of his boxing career.

Gervonta Davis caused a stir across the boxing world.

The ‘face of boxing’ left many fans speechless as he hinted at retirement after a series of bouts planned for next year. The revelation emerged during the kickoff presser of his next fight against Lamont Roach Jr. The duo will slug it out for Davis’ WBA lightweight title on March 1 at the Barclays Center in New York. Returning after a year-long break that followed the win over Ryan Garcia, on June 15, ‘Tank’ defeated Frank Martin during his first title defense as a ‘full’ champion.

In addition to discussing retirement, Davis shared insights about his opponents, igniting debates across social media and boxing platforms. The decision to fight Lamont Roach Jr. has raised eyebrows, with critics questioning the impact this matchup could have on Davis’ legacy. Even staunch supporters of ‘Tank’ Davis now find their arguments under scrutiny.

Gervonta Davis Says Richer Than Floyd Mayweather (WATCH)

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It seems Stephen Espinoza‘s recent remarks mystified boxing enthusiast Showbizz The Adult. When asked why ‘Tank’ Davis was fighting Lamont Roach Jr., the former Showtime president shared how discussions of a potential fight against Shakur Stevenson, which could have followed Davis’ bout with Frank Martin, ultimately fell through.

When you have fighters the caliber of Canelo, the bar is always high. You know when you continue to perform well against high-level opposition, you know people expect a lot from you,” explained Espinoza. One could argue that there’s always the option of ‘Tank’ moving up a division to face tougher challenges.

But Stephen Espinoza addressed the notion beforehand. He explained the Baltimorean had previously moved up to 140 pounds. However, he was best suited for the lightweight. “I know Tank has gone up to 140, and he would on occasion. He hasn’t looked the best there; you know, over on I think 135 is his best weight,” he stressed.

However, Showbizz The Adult offered a different perspective. The point is not whether a boxer looks ‘good’ in a particular division. The point is whether he can step out of his comfort zone and prove himself in challenging weight classes.

If he joined the 140-pound roster, the content creator admitted, ‘Tank’ Davis might have to exchange jabs with the likes of Jack Catterall, Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, or who knows, even Devin Haney. “But Tank doesn’t look at his best at 140. It’s a challenge there; that’s the point. I bet you if Gervonta was at 140 and fighting Catterall and fighting Rayo and fighting Devin Haney, he wouldn’t be sounding like this,” he added.

A closer look will reveal that even Canelo Alvarez, a natural middleweight, never looked comfortable at 168 pounds. Vasyl Lomachenko is another example. He looked out of place in the lightweight division. Showbizz The Adult pointed out, “You think Pacquiao looked his best at welterweight? Floyd Mayweather didn’t look his best at 154, but he kept fighting there. That’s the point.

To strengthen his argument, the social media personality turned to boxing history, highlighting the career of Roberto Duran. The Panamanian great began as a super featherweight and competed across seven divisions, even reaching light heavyweight.

Despite setbacks, Duran’s willingness to face challenges in unfamiliar weight classes cemented his status as one of boxing’s all-time greats. Duran’s journey serves as a powerful reminder of what it takes to achieve lasting greatness. His courage and determination remain an inspiration, encouraging contemporary fighters like Davis to embrace similar challenges.

As Gervonta Davis reflects on his career trajectory and future plans, the question remains: Should he take the risk of moving up to prove himself against tougher competition? The examples of past legends suggest that true greatness often lies beyond comfort zones.

Gervonta Davis’ announcement that he will retire next year raised some eyebrows but only him fulfilling his promise should be the surprise. 

If Tank really wants to retire, if he’s really had enough of the business, the political shenanigans and the invasions to his privacy, if he has what he deems enough money and genuinely wants to devote all his time to his young child, he would have packed up his gloves already.

There is nothing whatsoever stopping him.

The Rise of Gervonta 'Tank' Davis: Next Fight Anticipation

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Like there was nothing stopping Joe Louis from walking away when he promised to do so while in the midst of his long reign, or Sugar Ray Robinson when he kept coming back as if as good as new, or Muhammad Ali after the third Joe Frazier fight, or Larry Holmes when still unbeaten, or Mike Tyson following the 91-second trouncing of Michael Spinks, or Oscar De La Hoya when he reached his self-imposed age limit of 30, or Floyd Mayweather when he repeatedly insisted he’d had his last fight in the noughties and beyond, or Tyson Fury – who’s retired almost as many times as he’s fought.

The lure of the ring and all that comes with it might be the most powerful and toxic drug in sport. For boxers, it’s more than just a primal urge to exchange punches, it’s about the status to which they’ve become accustomed and how that status makes them feel. It allows them to stand tall in all walks of life, to rightly feel proud of themselves and their talents. Consider where many of them came from, too. The tale of the boxer who grew up poor, with a barely existent family life while scrapping with the law, is archetypal for a reason. To break free from that, and to then feel adoration and experience achievement, is the very embodiment of gratification.

Yet the urge to retire, however fleeting, is of course genuine in the moment. The notion that boxers are completely fearless or unaware of the dangers of their trade is a grave misconception. Ask Davis, or any boxer, if they’d like their children to grow up to be noble fighters, to walk in their shoes and take the same blows to the head, and very few would answer affirmatively and without hesitation.

Also consider the timing of his proclamation. He is about to enter a three-month training camp, the kind of which he has ample experience. He knows how hard it gets, how dark it can be, and what is required of his mind and body to get into fighting shape. He admitted, too, that he doesn’t like the hoopla surrounding his contests. The press conferences, the apathetic interviews with the constant invitations to say or do something stupid for the benefit of whichever YouTube channel is ramming a camera down his throat. That whole process, of selling a fight and preparing for battle, is ahead of him yet again.

It’s what comes afterward that makes it all so difficult to kick, however. The thrill of the ring walk in a crowded arena, the nervous energy that fuels every muscle to work in tandem, and that irreplaceable and wholly euphoric feeling of victory. It’s a rush like no other – and one with a comedown eased by that aforementioned sense of being not only a fighter, but a triumphant and unstoppable fighter. It’s such a high, in fact, that to exist in a life without the promise of another, when those superpowers inevitably fade, is too often a torturous transition.

And it is that realisation – that one day they won’t be able to do it anymore – which makes the breaking of retirement promises inevitable. Right now, for Gervonta “Tank” Davis, it’s easy to talk about retirement because he also knows, deep down, that his day to leave the sport hasn’t come yet. He knows he can still do it. He knows opportunities are still rife. He knows the crowd will still come out and cheer. And he knows, for the time being at least, that he can perform at the highest level. Therefore, because he’s still in the driving seat of a top-of-the-range luxury car, he will also presume he can put his feet on the brakes any time he pleases.

The trick is to do it at the right time. And it’s a trick that can’t be taught nor one that comes naturally. Yet be sure that for Davis, and all the others at the peak of their powers who teased the end of their careers, retirement won’t be so easy to talk about when he knows – whether privately or otherwise – that his best days have gone. Because in that moment, when the abyss of retirement is forced upon him, he will yearn with all his might to be as powerful as he is today.

Davis, who has just turned 30 years old, is talking about retirement, not because he feels he’s achieved all there is to achieve or earned all there is to earn, but because he knows, like the 20-a-day smoker mournfully lighting up their next cigarette, that one day he must stop.

Gervonta Davis has no chill.

Davis on Friday announced the date of his upcoming fight against Lamont Roach. While making the announcement, Davis insulted Roach with a comment he posted as his Instagram caption.

“My second home!!! Me vs 5head March 1st NEW YORK let’s goooo!!! #TheONE” Davis wrote as his caption on Instagram for the post.

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What’s the insult? Davis called Roach “5head” in the caption. “Five head” is a play-on-words and insult for someone who has a large forehead.

The Davis-Roach fight was initially set to be held in Houston in December. However, the fight was pushed back and will now take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 1.

Davis is 30-0. This will be his fourth fight at Barclays Center and first there since 2022. Roach is 25-1-1.

Gervonta Davis has been dominant throughout his professional boxing career.

Having been world champion from super-featherweight all the way up to super-lightweight, he is now focusing on being one of the top dogs at 135lbs and is the reigning WBA lightweight champion.

His record currently stands at 30-0 with 28 of those wins coming by knockout, having stopped the likes of Ryan Garcia, Leo Santa Cruz, and most recently Frank Martin during his career.

There are several fighters that fans still want to see him in the ring with though, including current WBC champion Shakur Stevenson and former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.

With those big names in mind, ‘Tank’ has now revealed who he believes to be the only man that is capable of beating him.

Gervonta Davis

“The only person that can beat me is Gervonta Davis. The others can’t touch me at all. They have all been in the ring with me and I cracked both of them. It ain’t no 50-50 fight. How you going to keep me off when you don’t have any power?”

Davis then revealed how he has got the better of Haney during sparring sessions between the two in the past.

“I sparred him twice, the first time his father took him out the ring. I almost knocked him out in Floyd’s gym.”

‘Tank’ is currently expected to return to the ring in March to defend his WBA lightweight title against current 130lb champion Lamont Roach, and the challenger has made a defiant knockout prediction ahead of the bout.

There is hardly a bigger and longer-standing feud in boxing than the one between Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney.

When Devin Haney was rounding up the lightweight division, Tank had moved from super featherweight to super lightweight division. And after becoming the first undisputed lightweight champion in the four-belt era, when Devin Haney moved up to super lightweight, Gervonta Davis had moved back down to lightweight, to the utter dismay of boxing fans. Although the match has not happened yet, the duo has actively engaged in a war of words, constantly ridiculing each other.

The rivalry particularly intensified when Tank mocked the 31-0 boxer during the Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney fight week. During the time someone also leaked their 2016 sparring session at Floyd Mayweather‘s boxing gym, escalating the tension between them even further. Then there was the incident between them at a nightclub.

Devin Haney Gervonta Davis

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Just like always, when the criticism against Haney was mounting after his lawsuit against Ryan Garcia, Bill Haney jumped in to defend his son. He shared a picture on his social media comparing Devin Haney’s accomplishments to those of Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomanchenko, and Gervonta Davis. On Sunday, Bill Haney sat down with DJ Vlad for an interview and gave his opinion on why he thinks his son is a better boxer than ‘Tank.’

Bill Haney himself trains his son and believes in his son’s ability. On being asked why he thinks ‘The Dream’ is better than Tank, he stated that according to him, “He can outbox anybody.” He further added that when ‘The Dream’ is at his best, no one comes close to him. “When Devin is being Devin, I know he can outbox anybody on the planet. We have that kind of skill set,” explained Haney Sr.

Bill Haney further shared his views regarding the matchup against Gervonta Davis and stated that it is a fight that both of them want. He stated, “We’ve always fancied our chances um and that’s the part of the business. That’s the part of boxing as having two sides,” while declaring Tank as Devin Haney’s ultimate dance partner.”

However, Tank’s team has annoyed Haney Sr. because even though they have talked a lot, “one thing that they haven’t said is that they want to fight Devin,” and the father-son duo has been asking for a fight since their early days in the sport.

While remaining on Gervonta Davis, Bill Haney also showed his disappointment over his choice of opponents stating that the WBA lightweight champion has not fought against a decently skilled boxer.

Haney Sr. shared his views on Tank’s upcoming fight and severely downplayed Tank’s next opponent Lamont Raoch Jr. At first, the San Francisco native showed his annoyance over the constant postponement of the fight. “When are they going to fight,” asked Bill Haney.

While the trainer/manager accepted that he had not heard much about the fight, he was confident that it would be a one-sided affair in favor of Gervonta Davis. He had serious doubts about Roach’s capabilities and stated, “Oh my God, when is he going to fight someone?” while questioning the quality of Tank’s opponents.

He further put the rumored fight between Tank and Shakur Stevenson under scrutiny, stating that “Tank is avoiding real boxers. He’s avoiding them for a reason.” While he likes the idea of the fight, he firmly believes that the Baltimore native will avoid the fight, as it would put him at risk of losing.

With each passing day, this rivalry between Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney is getting intense. However, we are still far away from the idea of an official match between them, at least for a while.

Gervonta Davis is willing to take on Shakur Stevenson.

Davis is the current WBA lightweight champion, while Stevenson holds the WBC belt, meaning a unification fight between the two has been linked for a while.

While they may have not shared the ring yet, a heated rivalry between the two men is already present, with plenty of insults thrown back and forth.

Gervonta Davis Agrees To Fight Shakur Stevenson Under One Condition: “Then We Can Get It On”

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‘Tank’ hasn’t held back with his assessment of Stevenson, dismissing claims that it would be a tough fight for him whilst talking to Cigar Talk.

“Hell no! How is he the best? Show me something that he’s done that’s outrageous. Show me. His power isn’t outrageous and what defence? He just jumps back, you never see him slip any punches, you never see that. Go watch him, you just see him back up and move around, move around, he ain’t got no technique.

His offence is the same thing. Go look at his fights. Easy work. I touched him with 16 ounce gloves on and he ran, imagine if I hit him with eight ounce gloves.”

Davis then revealed the one thing that needs to happen in order for him to face

“Tell him to rematch Edwin De Los Santos and if he beats him we can get it on. I guarantee you he won’t fight that guy again. I guarantee it.”

Stevenson had a much criticised performance when he met De Los Santos in November 2023, claiming a narrow unanimous decision win.

Another man who has weighed into the Davis vs. Stevenson debate is William Zepeda, the current mandatory challenger for the WBC title, revealing who he deems to be the best out of the two men.

After months and months of build-up – which started with criticism and promises of knockouts and neared its end with more criticism and ‘Iron’ Mike slapping ‘The Problem Child’ – Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson finally happened.

Did it live up to the hype? Not really. But something that has remained constant through the months is numbers – be it their age difference or their respective records. And now, an Instagram post has been drawing considerable interest for its thoughtful and comparative note.

It talks about the boxing journey of some of the well-known former and current world champions. Many build their resume after going through a series of what is commonly called ‘journeyman fights.’ The poster argued that a close personal look would reveal that’s pretty much the route Jake Paul took since he began his boxing career. So, if one considers the point, then the only differentiator between Paul and the boxing champs remains the ability to pull crowds.

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It’s no secret that ‘The Problem Child’ pulled off a blockbuster in Texas last week, maybe not in terms of fighting, but definitely in terms of hype. Nearly 70,000 spectators and millions more on Netflix watched his 8-round bout against Mike Tyson when they took each other on at AT&T Stadium on November 15. The show featured the undisputed rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano as well.

So, according to @notjustboxing, whether one likes or loathes Jake Paul, the fact remains as follows: “There is not much difference between Jake Paul’s lack of competition in his first 12 fights compared to any other professional boxer’s first 12 fights. The only difference is the man is a marketing genius. He manages to get millions of people interested.

Don’t believe it? Swipe through this post and see for yourself!

Beginning his boxing career with fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, Paul fought former UFC fighters and champions such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva. Switching gears, last year, Jake Paul fought Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy Fury, a professional boxer. The ‘TNT’ defeated Paul by a split decision. Paul resumed fighting boxers after the Nate Diaz fight. But both André August and Ryan Bourland were semi-retired and 35 years old.

Let’s look at some of Paul’s fights and how old his opponents were when they fought: –

  • November 2020: Defeated retired NBA player Nate Robinson (36)
  • April 2021: Defeated retired MMA fighter Ben Askren (37)
  • August & December 2021: Defeated retired MMA fighter Tyron Woodley twice (39)
  • October 2022: Defeated retired MMA fighter Anderson Silva (47)
  • February 2023: Lost to boxer Tommy Fury (23)
  • August 2023: Defeated semi-retired MMA fighter Nate Diaz (38)
  • November 2024: Defeated retired boxer Mike Tyson (58)

As is evident from the aforementioned list, Jake Paul (27) lost to the only boxer who was under 30 when they fought. ‘The Problem Child’ was 26 at the time.

The overall vibe of the comments suggested displeasure with the analysis. Let’s check what some of them had to suggest.

This fan promptly picked the sole oddity in Jake Paul’s boxing record. “Gotta realize Jake fought 1 boxer who boxes to this day; the rest are old and retired athletes. Jake’s proven nothing,” they said. Perhaps they were hinting at Tommy Fury, who inflicted Paul’s first loss. From retired UFC champions, ‘The Problem Child did move to boxers. However, including Tyson, they were retired or semi-retired and old.

The next one also caught the loophole. They said, “Except the others fought people who were active fighters within their chosen sports and weren’t famous YouTubers before hand.” Champions like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Canelo Alvarez, and Gervonta Davis may have fought a few journeymen initially; however, they were dyed-in-the-wool boxers, not someone who had crossed over.

The following fan shared similar thoughts. One could blame the former and current boxing champions for helping themselves generously with the easiest of challenges. “There is a HUGE difference,” they said. However, they fought real boxers who met the weight requirement, and the bouts followed standard boxing regulations. “People who “cherry pick” are still fighting other boxers who weigh the same as they do… They also don’t fight two-minute rounds—10 fights in…” the fan said.

For the next follower, Jake Paul’s shows are nothing short of a ‘circus’. They said, “I don’t consider him a boxer. He only fights older guys or nonboxers. It’s just a circus.” That is pretty much the most common and frequent point taken to pan the Ohioan.

Amidst visible resentment, a message of clarity surfaced. “At the end of the day, professional sports are just entertainment. Love him or loathe him, the chump generates lots of widespread entertainment,” this follower said. As the Netflix show at the AT&T Stadium showed, Jake Paul’s event pulled crowds, even if the visits were more out of curiosity or for mere entertainment.

Some strong observations, indeed. Most feel that Jake Paul needs to do more than just marketing gimmicks if he wants to cement a formidable boxing legacy.

For his next outing, ‘The Problem Child’ seems to be aiming at a cruiserweight clash against none other than Canelo Alvarez. But he appears to have received a callout from the undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev as well. When the news came, many fans suggested that he should take up the fight. But will he go against boxing’s scariest man?

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