A decade into his professional career and boasting an impeccable record of 29 victories without a single loss, Gervonta Davis has earned the respect of many in the boxing community. However, it seems that his lightweight rival, Shakur Stevenson, has managed to provoke a sense of disrespect in him.
Hailing from Baltimore, Gervonta, also known as ‘Tank,’ has established himself as a formidable force with his relentless power.
He has delivered devastating knockouts, such as his triumph over Leo Santa Cruz in 2020 and his dominant performance against Cuban boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2019.
Most recently, in April, he showcased his skills with a vicious body shot that secured him a high-profile pay-per-view victory over the highly-touted Ryan Garcia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In an interview with Culture Boxing, the current WBA world lightweight champion opens up about his loss of respect for Shakur, a former holder of the WBO featherweight and super-featherweight titles.
Gervonta Davis’s remark on Shakur Stevenson
Davis explains that this lack of respect stems from Stevenson’s audacious claim that Gervonta would never have the courage to step into the ring with him.
“He throw shots, then want to be buddy-buddy, know what I mean? Saying all this stuff on Twitter then running into my locker room and wanting to take a picture and all that type stuff. You feel me? He’s got to stand on that. We ain’t cool no more. That’s why I’m in this mode. I ain’t got no friends in this,” he said.
“Don’t go on the internet saying I wouldn’t dare step in the ring with you – that’s disrespect,” he added.
Davis has previously voiced his opinions on Stevenson, expressing skepticism about the latter’s punching power. Nonetheless, Shakur has achieved considerable success in lower-weight divisions.
Tank isn't a fan of Shakur's social media callouts 😳 pic.twitter.com/dduQotteaw
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) July 5, 2023
In his most recent bout in April, the skillful southpaw made a seamless transition to the lightweight division by swiftly dispatching Shuichiro Yoshino with a sixth-round knockout.
Consequently, Stevenson now competes in the same weight class as Davis, setting the stage for an enticing clash between these two promising American fighters. Such a matchup is considered a tantalizing prospect for many boxing enthusiasts.
Who is Gervonta Davi’s next opponent?
Calvin Ford, the coach of Davis, is eager to see his protégé, known as ‘Tank,’ step into the ring against Devin Haney in their next bout.
Following Davis’ showdown with Ryan in April, where the WBA (Regular) lightweight champion emerged victorious, he has been on a hiatus from competition.
The fight itself garnered tremendous attention, becoming one of the most highly anticipated events in the sport, with over 1.2 million pay-per-view purchases on Showtime.
Although the contest against Garcia was not particularly closely contested, with Gervonta taking control after a surprising knockdown in the second round and ultimately sealing the victory with a devastating body shot in the seventh round, the ‘undefeated’ champion has remained silent about his next fight.
However, in an interview with Zeb Brooks, Davis’ coach, Calvin Ford, expressed his desire for the talented lightweight fighter to face off against Devin Haney, often referred to as ‘The Dream.’
What are your thoughts regarding this matchup? Let us know in the comment section below.
