And Gervonta Davis returns; or is it merely a rumor that is being pushed around? The boxing world continues to wait for the American boxer’s next fight announcement. While it seemed the fans’ wishes had come true, they were given a bitter pill to swallow. When the fans and magazines thought they had “the answer,” the champion shattered their dream in a scathing style.

‘Tank’ last fought Ryan Garcia in a record fight last April and bagged a spectacular KO win. Since then, he has stayed away from boxing and has made waves outside the ring. From changing his religion to purchasing his Baltimore neighborhood, the 29-year-old has done it all except throw a punch in the square circle. Therefore, when Ring Magazine reported his probable comeback this summer in the UK, the boxing world was elated. However, these rumors and speculations left a bad taste in Davis’ mouth as he slammed one such “boxing page.”

Gervonta Davis brutally shuns the rumor mill

Gervonta Davis knows that there’s a target on his back. At this point, he’s grown accustomed to it. Fighting the 29-year-old lightweight champ is almost like hitting the lottery or participating in boxing’s version of the Super Bowl. Simply put, life-changing money and millions of eyeballs are placed upon you when Davis picks you as his next opponent.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but Frank Martin has emerged as a possible opponent for his 2024 debut. No one on Davis’ team has hinted at him getting a shot, but with Devin Haney competing at 140 pounds and Shakur Stevenson on the supposed other side of the street, Martin is an intriguing option.

Typically, the newly turned 29-year-old strolls his way to the ring on multiple occasions a year. In 2023, however, he was afforded that opportunity just once. Still, he made the most of it, scoring a close but clear win over Artem Harutyunyan in mid-July.

It’s rare that all four of the sanctioning bodies come to an agreement but they’ve all grown to respect what Martin brings to the table. With the WBC and WBO ranking him in their top six, coupled with the IBF and WBA having him placed number 10 and number two respectively, a world title shot is ostensibly just a few fights away.

On countless occasions, the Detroit native has pontificated over his desire to share the ring with Davis. There’s also a bit of a backstory. In years past, the two have attempted to take each other’s heads off in heated sparring sessions.

Should Martin get the call, considering his pedigree, he could give Davis all he could handle. But, for those who believe he can do what 29 others haven’t, Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, is convinced that you’ve lost your mind.

“Frank Martin can’t beat Tank Davis,” Ellerbe told Sean Zittel of FightHype.com. “None of those guys can beat Tank Davis. Frank’s a good ass fighter. He can’t beat Tank though.”

Ellerbe, by and large, has heard it all before. He’s listened to previous lightweight contenders, including Ryan Garcia, bombastically bloviate over what they’ll do to Davis, only to come up incredibly short in the ring.

Currently, Martin’s name continues to pick up traction. Ellerbe though, wouldn’t confirm nor deny whether or not he’s the frontrunner. For those who are waiting patiently for something to be announced, Ellerbe made it known that when the time comes, you’ll hear it directly from the horse’s mouth.

“Tank will decide who he’s fighting and when he decides that, he’ll make an announcement. Tank is the boss. He’ll be fighting soon.”

Devin Haney‘s pursuit of a showdown with Gervonta Davis took an interesting turn in December 2023. Haney, boasting an undefeated record, expressed his willingness to accept a deal similar to the one Ryan Garcia secured for his fight against Davis in April. However, there’s a caveat – if Haney remains steadfast on these terms, he might inadvertently price himself out of the matchup.

Moreover, potential weight stipulations, particularly considering Haney’s 165 lb status, could further complicate negotiations. The prospect of a catchweight is on the table, but Haney resisted this idea. Now almost a couple of months later, Mayweather Promotions CEO has responded to the bizarre claim of Devin Haney.

Leonard Ellerbe slams the prospect of the Devin Haney-Gervonta Davis fight

The Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, apparently had no idea about the claims made by Devin Haney in the past. He seemed shocked after learning about it during his interview with FightHype. Moreover, Ellerbe talked about how this fight wouldn’t be happening soon, mainly because of the weight class difference.

Ellerbe said, ” Stop it. First off they’re in two different weight classes and I don’t even want to go on and on about that. It’s like just cut the bulls**t, they’re in two different weight classes. Now, I’m not saying it’s not a good fight for people who- whatever you want to think it is. But at the end of the day, if Tank had to, Tank could make 30, okay? Tank could make 30 if he had to. He’s comfortable at 35, okay.” Furthermore, he made it clear that Davis is not going to be dictated on what he should do. Then he stated, “Tank’s going to fight where he’s comfortable at and do what he wants to do.”

Moreover, he stated that the fight could’ve happened at the time when they were in the same weight class. However, at that time, Haney was signed with Top Rank, and as per Ellerbe, Bob Arum would never risk a fight where he’s not completely sure about the results turning in the favor of his pugilist. Moreover, Haney’s back-and-forth with Ryan Garcia has started yet agian, and it seems he’d be going with him as the next opponent, rather than waiting for ‘Tank’.

Haney might finally fight Ryan Garcia

The long-standing rivalry between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney appears to have been rekindled, as Garcia revealed in an interview with FightHype that discussions for a potential fight with Haney have resumed. This development comes after Garcia initially shifted focus to challenge WBA super lightweight champion Rolly Romero.

He explained recently that he did this after getting influenced by Floyd Mayweather. Garcia revealed, “I’m not gonna lie, Floyd’s pretty influential,” Garcia said. “He’s like, ‘Why would you do that? Why don’t you fight Rolly for the belt and then fight Haney?’ I said, ‘That makes sense, but I told the people already I’m gonna fight Devin.’ He said, ‘Some things change.’ I’m paraphrasing but I made the quick decision, ‘Alright Floyd, that makes sense.’”

Boxing has faced challenges with the rise of UFC and bare-knuckle promotions, impacting its overall popularity. Despite this, major boxing matches, particularly like Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis in 2023, draw significant attention. The bout, featuring two prominent and skilled fighters in their prime, lived up to expectations, generating impressive PPV sales. Meanwhile, talking about it in a recent interview with Valuetainment, Garcia recently stated he chose to fight to save the sinking boat of boxing and reigniting the interest.

In a conversation with Patrick Bet-David, Garcia discussed his fight against Davis and revealed that he chose boxing because he observed that gimmicky fights were garnering more attention than genuine boxing matches. Recognizing Garcia and Davis as two current prominent stars, but went ahead with the fight, driven by a desire to rescue the integrity of boxing. In his words,

Indeed, matches like Paul vs. Danis were the most talked about throughout the year, surpassing events like Joshua vs. Wallin. Speaking about it, he labeled these matches as gimmicky and aimed to bring back attention to real boxing matches like this. However, he knew that he would lose.

Ryan Garcia Anticipated Defeat Against Gervonta Davis During The Fight

In a recent interview, Ryan Garcia disclosed that he sensed his impending loss long before ‘Tank’ delivered the brutal body shot in the fight. He stated,

Despite the loss, it’s evident that Garcia surely wants revenge. However, before Davis’ rematch, he must secure notable victories and deliver impressive performances. And now Garcia rebounded with a knockout against Oscar Duarte and, under the negotiations of fighting against Devin Haney.

Ryan Garcia took part in a recent interview on the PBD Podcast, where he admitted to knowing that he would lose to Gervonta Davis ahead of their matchup last year. The pair crossed swords inside the squared circle of boxing last year, and the outcome was Garcia’s first professional loss.

‘KingRy’ was folded by a body shot, which rendered him unable to continue. Now, he has spoken candidly about the loss, revealing certain details that he felt contributed to an unfavorable situation against Davis. Specifically, he outlined the lack of physicality he felt backstage.

Garcia is referencing, in part, the rehydration clause included in the contract for his bout with Davis. The loss was somewhat damaging to his career, as it was not only his first professional defeat, but the manner in which he lost led to many in the boxing world questioning his toughness and mettle as a fighter.

Some even accused him of looking for a way out against ‘Tank.’ Regardless of what his detractors say about him, Garcia is determined to rack up enough wins to earn a rematch against Davis. Only this time, he promises to be wiser during the negotiating phase to avoid the inclusion of a rehydration clause.