Nigel Benn has responded to his son Conor’s latest callout of Gervonta Davis and doesn’t want it, instead naming his own three-man hit list.

Following on from Benn’s last outing on February 3 against Pete Dobson on his Las Vegas debut, he took to X to start firing up debate with potential new opponents.

He named a five-man hitlist and one of them was quick to respond. That man was multi-weight champion Davis, who was then reportedly sent a contract to fight from Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

Since then things have gone quiet but now Benn’s father and legendary British fighter Nigel has come out to say he doesn’t like the sound of that one.

Speaking to Fruity Slots, he says it is too soon to face Davis and that first, he must meet with the British Boxing Board of Control to get his license back.

He then stated the importance of his son getting his head in the right place before such big fights.

Finally, he stated his interest in seeing his son take up his old generational rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr once more, although one former opponent has advised against it.

Any of these fights would represent big nights for Benn as he tries to establish himself on the world stage.

Eddie Hearn is confident that Gervonta Davis vs. Conor Benn will happen.

‘The Destroyer’ returned to the boxing ring earlier this month in Las Vegas. In only his second bout since the end of 2022, Benn scored a dominant decision victory against Peter Dobson. With the victory, the British boxer became a top contender at welterweight once again.

Quickly, he was in discussions to face a variety of opponents. However, Benn and Hearn seemingly zeroed in on Davis as his next foe. ‘Tank’ has been out of the ring since a knockout win over Ryan Garcia last April.

Davis seemed open to fighting Benn next, and Matchroom Boxing has even sent an offer to the WBA Super lightweight champion. Speaking in a recent interview with IFL TV, Hearn opened up on discussions between the two boxers.

There, the promoter stated that he was confident that the offer was big enough to make everyone involved happy. In the interview, Hearn stated

Super Bowl LVIII’s halftime show brought together iconic performers, dazzling displays, and unexpected moments that left viewers raving about it. Amidst the spectacle, R&B sensation Usher stole the spotlight with his electrifying performance, but it was a interaction with Alicia Keys that ignited a flurry of discussion, fueled by boxing champ Gervonta Davis and his commentary.

Decked in all-white attire, Usher commanded the stage with his signature moves, treating viewers to a load of hits that had the stadium rocking.

The two phantoms of the lighter-weight divisions, Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue might never face each other in the ring. Such a matchup would be a dream come true for many boxing fans. However, the Japanese ‘Monster’ has declined such possibilities yet again. His reason for this refusal lies in a crucial point of debate in boxing circles.

In December last year, Inoue made history by emerging 2x undisputed. It is a feat that only Terence Crawford and Claressa Shields have been able to achieve in the four-belt era. In the wake of such a historic win over Filipino southpaw, Marlon Tapales, fans rallied for the Yokohama-based fighter to compete against his power-punching contemporary in the lightweight division, Gervonta Davis. The proposition was thrashed immediately by Davis. Now, Inoue has concurred with ‘Tank’ on this front, arguing that no matter how lucrative the fight could prove to be, there remains a bigger responsibility he’d rather tend to.

Money does not cover it all

For the 30-year-old fighter, who emerged undisputed in the Bantamweight division in 2022 and Super Bantamweight, last year, his stint in the ring is way beyond lucrative fights and notable wins. He remains loyal to his responsibility toward the sport, which is exactly why his moving beyond featherweight is out of the question, according to him.

Daisuke Sugiura, a contributor to Ring Magazine quizzed the fighter on this front in their profiling for the publication. He quizzed the fighter if he would ever face Davis even if the odds and payday were in his favor. “No”, declared the undefeated fighter. For a while now, with significant money being poured into boxing at large, the sport has witnessed big names choosing fat checks over important fights. When WBC heavyweight titlist, Tyson Fury fought newbie, Francis Ngannou in a lucrative Saudi clash, the same criticisms were levied against him.

However, Inoue steers clear of this culture. He notes, “I always want to show the best Naoya Inoue. I wouldn’t decide to start fighting at featherweight or super featherweight just because the money is good. I don’t think that’s what I want. There are many fighters who have chased the money but ended up not being able to perform well and quit. The reason I box is not for the money; I do this to show my best self.”

His argument is, “It’s also true that I’m motivated by fighting strong opponents, but there are weight divisions in boxing for a reason.” The weight discrepancy between Davis and him has been a major barrier in getting a clash between them to happen. Tank too cited the same reason when asked about his stance on fighting the Monster.

Gervonta Davis’ take on Naoya Inoue fight

Last year, while replying to a Twitter page that pushed the possibility of Davis fighting Inoue, Tank remarked, “I’m not fighting him. He’s NO WHERE near my weight. [I don’t know] why this page keep posting s*** like this.”

For Inoue, his boxing career saturates at the featherweight division. While he remains ambitious about taking three fights in the light featherweight this year, his move to the upper weight divisions depends on how his body feels by the end of those fights. With this explanation coming directly from him, fans can rest assured that Naoya Inoue vs. Gervonta Davis is a fight that possibly will never see the light of day.

Naoya Inoue does not seem too interested in a potential clash against Gervonta Davis.

‘The Monster’ recently did an interview with The Ring, during which he discussed various topics such as his last performance and his tentative schedule for 2024. At one point, Inoue was asked about the possibility of fighting Davis.

The 30-year-old responded that he did not wish to move up a weight class just for monetary reasons. Inoue indicated that he wanted to perform to the best of his abilities, something that might not be possible if he moves up to compete against a fighter like ‘Tank’, who is currently the lightweight champion:

Inoue was last seen in action in December 2023. The 30-year-old went up against Marlon Tapales at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. ‘The Monster’ emerged as the better fighter and finished his opponent via knockout in the 10th round of the fight.

Usher, the R&B sensation, delivered a spectacular halftime show at the Super Bowl LVIII. The clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Donned in all-white attire and accompanied by a lively ensemble of dancers, Usher kicked off the performance with one of his iconic hits, ‘Caught Up’.

Usher also invited some features in his performance and collaborated with Will.i.am and Ludacris. However, it was his performance with Alicia Keys that grabbed attention for the wrong reasons. Their closeness during the performance drew many to insinuate more than what was. Gervonta Davis expressed concern, suggesting that Usher appeared too close to Alicia Keys during the performance. Davis emphasized that the situation might not have ended well if he were Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys’ husband.

Gervonta Davis didn’t appreciate the chemistry between Usher and Alicia Keys

As Usher immersed himself in the performance, Alicia Keys made a captivating entrance behind a vibrant red piano. She was adorned in a matching, sparkly red outfit. She mesmerized the audience with a rendition of her hit ‘If I Ain’t Got You’. The musical journey continued as Usher and Keys collaborated on their duet ‘My Boo’, creating a heartwarming moment that beautifully revisited their 2004 smash.

As the song concluded, Keys gracefully exited. However, right before his exit, Usher stood behind Keys, while the song faded out. Gervonta Davis mentioned this in his now-deleted tweet. He stated that he wouldn’t have felt comfortable if Usher had done the same with his wife.

But, Davis’s comment didn’t seem to have any effect on the relationship between Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, as he posted a wholesome post on his Instagram.

Swizz Beatz is keeping away from the negativity

Swizz Beatz, husband of Alicia Keys, took to Instagram to share his reaction to the heartfelt duet between Keys and Usher during the Super Bowl halftime show. Addressing fan responses, and the surrounding negativity, Swizz Beatz wrote a lengthy post. In the mark of a true gentleman, he decided to celebrate his wife’s remarkable feat rather than focusing on unnecessary things

On his Instagram post, he posted three pictures of her wife at the Super Bowl Halftime stage. In the caption, he wrote, “Y’all talking about the wrong … thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium. Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic 🤍 We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history.”

So, Beatz being the good husband that he is decided to celebrate his wife’s achievement and dismissed the negativity surrounding the performance. However, Davis had a different outlook than the music producer in this situation. What do you think about the whole hulabaloo? Tell us in the comments section.