Isaac Cruz shifted his focus away from the elusive prospect of securing a rematch with Gervonta Davis. He is now eyeing a potential bout against Ryan Garcia scheduled for April. Despite his unsuccessful attempts at arranging a rematch with Davis, Cruz remains determined to carve his path in the boxing world.

“Stop talking and fight”: Isaac Cruz has Ryan Garcia on his crosshairs

Despite the persistent efforts of the 25-year-old contender, Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz couldn’t secure a rematch against Gervonta Davis. All of his appeals have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Cruz has actively applied pressure for a second bout, and he emphasized the advantages of a full training camp for both fighters to adequately prepare for each other. It’s noteworthy that both Cruz and Davis are part of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) umbrella, but the fight couldn’t come to fruition.

Top Rank boss and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is ready to pit his top pugilists against Gervonta Davis.

The Baltimore-bred knockout artist Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) has been dominating his dance partners, but the cupboard of high-profile, in-house opponents PBC could present moving forward is running dry.

Tank has bulldozed the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia, and Ryan Garcia since 2020.

Many of the mega payday fights that the WBA lightweight champion would want to entertain would involve Davis and his team working with Arum, who promotes lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko as well as super lightweight Teofimo Lopez Jr.

“Tank Davis is an excellent fighter and a big attraction. So sure we’d like to match [Stevenson, Lomachenko, and Lopez] against Tank Davis and see how well they would do. I like our guys to win the fight … All three would beat Davis. I really believe that … but that’s why they do the fights, right? Again, we’re open to any of that,” Arum told BoxingScene.com in an interview.

;a“I think [Davis] is the real deal. That’s why we’re talking about him. He’s a helluva performer. A terrific athlete, and a terrific boxer, but so are the other three [Stevenson, Lomachenko, and Lopez.]”

Arum alluded that a cross-promotional fight involving Davis would likely need to be financed by the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia and its chairman, Turki Alalshikh.

Top Rank’s shows are produced for ESPN platforms; PBC struck a deal with Amazon Prime last month.

“The way it will probably happen, where everything is happening, is the Saudis … [they] might decide to do the fight, after Ramadan this summer and cut the checks to the fighters. And that ends any kind of discussion of who gets what percentages,” said Arum.

“The stuff about A-side and dictating terms, that’s total and complete nonsense. Once you settle on the money and work out the percentages, then everything else is easy. Everything else is nonsense. But again, if we start talking about A-side and B-side, then nothing happens, they just trade insults with each other, and that’s childish. That’s why a lot of fights haven’t happened because people involved in the sport, sometimes even us, have been very childish arguing about stuff that doesn’t even matter.”

Lopez will next fight Jamaine Ortiz on Feb. 8.

Lomachenko is slated to fight George Kambosos Jr. in the coming months for the vacant IBF lightweight title.

Davis and Stevenson do not have any known fights lined up at the moment.

In the ring, the handiwork of Gervonta Davis can be spotted a mile away. The newly turned 29-year-old normally leaves the faces of his opponents on the mat. His propensity for violence, however, often dissipates once the adrenaline is gone and things cool down.

Outside the ring, Davis mostly keeps a low profile, despite being one of the most called-out boxers in the world. The need to hurl bombastic threats in his direction are usually extraneous, but Bill Haney knows how to get a response out of him.

Devin Haney, Bill’s son and current WBC super lightweight champion, arguably scored the most impressive victory of his career, a lopsided victory over former titlist, Regis Prograis. There wasn’t a single second where the 25-year-old wasn’t in control, prompting him to stick out his chest and brag about his latest exploits.

Bill, unsurprisingly, watched proudly from his son’s corner. Once his now two-division champ scored the victory, he immediately turned his attention towards Davis. From making fun of his weight to calling Davis a paper champion, Bill is doing his best to push the buttons of the Baltimore native.

Initially, Davis shrugged his shoulders before giving the Haney’s a ho-hum response. But, after listening to Bill’s words repeatedly, Davis officially warned Devin that the beating he’s on the verge of experiencing will not only hurt him but also his father.

“I promise you,” wrote Davis on his social media account. “Your father gonna cry for what I’m a do to you.”

Davis, of course, is waiting til the calendar hits 2024 before revealing his future plans. After spending his 2023 permanently closing the mouths of a pair of Garcia’s, Davis promises to do the same to the Haney’s.

Ultimately, Davis is one of boxing’s biggest stars and cash cows. Meaning, he decides when a showdown between himself and Devin Haney can become a reality. For now, he’ll simply sit back and enjoy his holidays. Although he loathes Devin and can’t wait to jump into the ring with him, he wants him to celebrate his latest win.

“Your best bet is to enjoy it while you can.”

Gervonta Davis’ trainer Calvin Ford has been arrested and reportedly remains in police custody at present.

The respected coach of the USA’s biggest boxing star today was arrested by Baltimore police on December 29 as he left the Upton Boxing Gym in Baltimore, Maryland.

This is because he is wanted on felony assault charges in Nevada and so is currently awaiting transfer to the state.

Authorities in Nevada issued a warrant for his arrest on October 16.

Ford is wanted on two charges of ‘assault with a deadly weapon’ following an incident in Las Vegas.

The Baltimore Banner were first to report these details.

More specific information on the incident has not been reported at present.

However, Ford’s trainer partner Kenny Ellis (the pair coach Davis together) has given an interview following the arrest.

“Coach Calvin ain’t the type of guy that out here getting in a bunch of drama,” Ellis told the Fannon International Boxing Channel.

“I can’t stress it enough, Calvin is innocent. He didn’t do nothing wrong.”

Despite his comments about not caring, Gervonta Davis’ WBA title is now the only one remaining.

‘Tank’ has been out of the ring since a knockout win over Ryan Garcia in April. That was another high-profile victory for Davis and arguably the biggest of his career. However, because the bout took place at a 136-pound catchweight, it wasn’t a title defense for the winner.

As it turns out, that bout with ‘KingRy’ will be the last for Davis as the WBA (Regular) lightweight champion. Following that win over Garcia, many hoped to see the titleholder face Devin Haney. ‘The Dream’ held all the gold at lightweight, except for the one held by Davis.

Sadly, that lightweight title clash won’t be happening. Last month, Haney vacated his lightweight championships just a week prior to his super lightweight clash with Regis Prograis. In December, ‘The Dream’ scored a dominant decision win over ‘Rougarou’.

With Haney’s announcement, the WBA had an easy decision to make. With no WBA (Super) lightweight champion, they announced intentions to upgrade Davis. However, upon hearing that news, ‘Tank’ outright stated that he didn’t want the elevation.

However, it didn’t matter. As reported by Michael Benson of TalkSport, Davis was elevated to the WBA (Super) lightweight champion earlier today. With that, there will be no more WBA (Regular) lightweight title as well.

Gervonta Davis has been given a positive update from the WBA after Devin Haney revealed his decision to vacate his undisputed lightweight titles in pursuit of a move to super-lightweight.

After Haney left the 135lb division, the titles became fragmented, and each of the sanctioning bodies are already in the process of crowning their new respective champions in the division.

The WBC were first to act on the news of Haney’s decision, as Shakur Stevenson outpointed Edwin De Los Santos in an uneventful title affair for the vacant belt, a few weeks before Haney’s title challenge up at 140lbs.

Meanwhile, the IBF strap is slated to be on the line in a few months’ time in Australia, as Vasyl Lomachenko travels to George Kambosos’ backyard for a battle between two former champions, whilst there is little news surrounding the future of the WBO title.

For the WBA however, their decision seemed a simple one. Gervonta Davis held the WBA Regular title and as a result was expected to be upgraded to full WBA Champion, even when he said on social media that he ‘don’t want that s**t’, leaving the WBA in an awkward position.

Nevertheless, it has now been confirmed that the WBA has appointed Gervonta Davis as the only WBA lightweight world champion, and that the WBA Regular/Super belt situation has been resolved in this division at least.

Whether or not Davis will choose to remain as WBA champion remains to be seen, following his reluctance to be upgraded as well as recent rumours that link ‘Tank’ with a move up to super-lightweight.

How far is too far when it comes to trash-talking in boxing? Not so long ago, Gervonta Davis transitioned into Islam, following in the footsteps of boxing legends like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. He even took on his Muslim name, Abdul Wahid, during a beautiful ceremony at Masjid Al-Hidaayah in Woodlawn. However, today, Bill Haney, the father of Davis’ bitter rival Devin Haney, mocked the newly converted Muslim.

It’s worth mentioning that both Devin and his father Bill Haney are followers of Islam. However, that did not stop Papa Bill from referring to a caged chimpanzee with Davis’ new name. Interestingly, during their visit to the zoo, ‘The Dream’ nearly got bit by a brown bear. Nevertheless, Bill decided to share his mocking remark on his Instagram story today. It was later picked up by Boxing n BBQ.

Bill Haney’s controversial encounter

While exploring the zoo and the enclosures of the various animals residing within it, the Haney came across a Chimpanzee caged behind a thick red metal mesh enclosure. In the video, Bill Haney can be heard loudly calling the speechless primate, “Abdul Wahid.” If that wasn’t enough, he also wrote some choice words alongside the clip on Instagram.

“Little monkey ni**a hear me,” wrote Bill, followed by a laughing emoji. While it can not be proven that Haney was referring to Davis and his adoption of the name recently, his ongoing back and forth with Davis’ corner indicates it was. While Bill Haney mocked ‘Tank’s’ new name, it’s also worth mentioning what Davis’ Muslim name actually means.

Gervonta Davis’ step towards personal belief and religious journey

While the Baltimore native hasn’t changed his name legally, his adoption of the name was a significant step towards his personal belief and religious journey as a Muslim. What’s more, he isn’t alone in taking such a step. Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali used to go by the name Cassius Clay. Even ‘Iron’ Mike switched faiths, though he did not change his name – some rumors back then suggested he adopted the name Malik Abdul Aziz.

However, what does Davis’ new name mean? Well, his new chosen name translates to ‘The Slave/Servant of The One.’ Sharing a clip from the ceremony, an X user tweeted, “Gervonta Davis chose the Muslim name Abdul Wahid (the slave of The One) today at Masjid Hidayah with Imam Hassan Somali and Raha Batts. May Allah preserve them all.”

Gervonta Davis means money. After setting 2023 on fire with his record-shattering fight with Ryan Garcia, he is on the lookout. The American boxer has managed to rake in millions amid long stretches of inactivity. However, after seizing the headlines for embracing Islam, the fans can expect him to grace the boxing ring in 2024. The list of potential suitors is long, but there are three who can put on a ludicrous money event.

A long-coveted fight: Gervonta Davis vs. Devin Haney

Devin Haney held all the straps when he reigned at 135 pounds, and Gervonta Davis had to content himself with the WBA regular champion tag. Both currently hold superstar status in the boxing world, and a match between them will be an exciting showdown between contrasting styles. While Haney is a technically gifted boxer, Davis knows how to pierce through defenses with his brute power.

However, ‘The Dream’ has moved up to 140 and is currently in negotiations for a fight with Ryan Garcia. He wants to embrace the PPV star persona, and defeating Garcia will nudge him toward that ambition. This works in Davis’ favor, as Haney is a clear favorite going into that fight, and a win will surely uplift Haney’s stature.

The Baltimore native has fought once at 140, and he could comfortably set up a fight at catchweight with Haney and no titles on the line. Their fight has every ingredient to make it the fight of the year and a lucrative fight for promoters to generate millions. Despite that, Haney might again relinquish and move up. Davis then doesn’t need to look beyond his division and, in particular, Shakur Stevenson.

The practical PPV blockbuster for 2024 in Shakur Stevenson

Shakur Stevenson holds the other strap in lightweight besides Gervonta Davis, while the IBF and WBO titles lay vacant. A champion vs. champion fight holds allure, especially when both of them are undefeated at 21-0 and 29-0, respectively.

Davis vs. Stevenson is sure to grab the eyeballs of fans, as the fight is the epitome of menace vs. method. Fans will willingly shell out money to pay and witness the action up close. The fight will also decide the future of the 135-pound division, as it might set up either of the two on an undisputed champion course.

It will eventually boil down to the cooperation between Stevenson’s Top Rank and Davis’ PBC, as both promotions will chalk out their cash cow’s future. The fans expect the best in the division to meet in the square circle, and this super fight will move the needle in 2024 if it materializes.

Gervonta Davis vs. Terence Crawford: A dream wildcard fight

A wildcard indeed. This hypothetical fight captured fans’ imaginations when Davis disclosed a bold prediction of knocking out Terence Crawford. ‘Bud’ instantly offered a fight to Davis, and since then, murmurs of a probable fight have only gained traction.

While Davis is in his prime, Crawford is in his twilight years. The shine of belts doesn’t appeal to Crawford anymore. He wants to set his legacy in stone, and the Davis fight not only offers him a shot at greatness but also money. Further, fans are still determining when Crawford will hang up his gloves, and therefore, they won’t let go of any opportunity to cherish his last fights in the boxing ring.

Crawford’s last bout with Errol Spence Jr. sold around 700,000 PPVs, and if he picks up a fight with Davis next, he will indeed surpass that figure. Whoever Davis picks among these, he will surely put on a spectacularly successful event. What do you make of these probable opponents of Gervonta Davis? Who do you think he should fight next? Let us know in the comments below.

In the unpredictable theater of combat sports, callouts are as strategic as the fights themselves. Sean O’Malley, a name synonymous with UFC bravado, has been flirting with the boxing world. His previous targets? High-profile boxers like Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. But now, there’s an intriguing shift.

In a recent tweet, O’Malley’s focus veers towards a new, unexpected name – Abdul Wahid, formerly known as Gervonta Davis. Why this sudden pivot? What could this mean for O’Malley’s fighting future? With a history of bold statements, what’s O’Malley’s game plan?

Sean O’Malley returns to haunt Gervonta Davis

In an intriguing turn of events, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, known for his striking prowess and flamboyant persona, has stirred the combat sports community with his latest tweet. “I’ll knock out Abdul Wahid,” he boldly declared on 30th December, targeting the boxer formerly known as Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis who changed his faith to Islam and changed his name too. This proclamation marks a significant shift in O’Malley’s previously expressed interests.