Shakur Stevenson is setting the stage for what could be the most significant fight in boxing by challenging Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.

As he seeks to elevate his profile for a shot at the lightweight world champion of the WBA, Stevenson has openly promised Davis a “rude awakening” should the opportunity arise for them to face each other.

He anticipates that their match, a classic showdown between a slugger and a boxer – both undefeated – would become a landmark event in the sport.

However, Davis, who has not fought in over a year and is expected to face Frank Martin later this year, dismisses the potential challenge from Stevenson as an easy fight due to Stevenson‘s perceived technical limitations.

In an interview on Naji’s podcast, Cigar Talks, Davis mocked Stevenson‘s abilities when asked if the 26-year-old challenger would be his toughest opponent to date:

“Hell no. Show me something he has done. Show me. His power isn’t scandalous. What defense? He’s just lacking,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson Confident Despite Criticism

These remarks did not sit well with Stevenson, who took to his X account (formerly Twitter) to respond to the criticisms, asserting that it would be “a rude awakening when fight night comes.”

While such exchanges have been common between them for months, experts believe these provocations might finally lead to a face-off, giving Stevenson a chance to prove whether his zeal is sufficient to challenge one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Regarding the potential fight, Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, indicated that it’s only a matter of time before it happens as their careers are on a “collision course.” He stated: “I hope so. I think it makes sense.”

In addition, Bob Arum expressed confidence in Stevenson‘s capabilities to defeat Davis, but emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with ‘Tank’ himself.

In a conversation on the podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Stevenson acknowledged Davis‘s stature as the PPV star, noting the financial dynamics at play.”

Who am I to make an offer to the biggest star in boxing? What can I offer him? It doesn’t make sense. It would have to come from his side, from his team, to want to make a fight,” Stevenson said.

As anticipation builds, the boxing community is keen to see if this verbal sparring will translate into an actual match-up, potentially setting up one of the most intriguing fights in recent boxing history.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis claims he is financially better off than Floyd Mayweather Jr. was at the same age after signing a 6-7 fight deal.

WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Tank Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) says the contract he signed with PBC – which includes a fight against Shakur Stevenson – is more lucrative than the six-fight deal Mayweather signed with Showtime in 2013.

Davis hasn’t disclosed exactly how much he stands to earn, but it estimated to be worth $250million.

According to reports at the time, Mayweather‘s 2013 deal was worth $200m, which he had when he was 29. But Davis claims he has eclipsed the retired boxing icon.

“I’m at the point where I passed him and I’m doing it at a young age. When Floyd Mayweather was 29 [he wasn’t doing it like me], you’ll see,” said Gervonta Davis to Cigar Talk.

“That [6-7 fight] deal that I was talking about, that’s bigger than his [Mayweather’s] deal, and I’m just releasing it on here.”

The difference between the two is that Mayweather wasn’t earning such amounts at that age, as the sport has evolved financially for lower-ranked boxers.

Will Gervonta Davis have a better legacy than Floyd Mayweather?

When Mayweather was 29, he was fighting the likes of Emanuel Augustus and Gregorio Vargas and refused to duck any opponent that he was faced against. Davis, meanwhile, has faced claims that he has cherry-picked opponents he has a better chance of beating.

It doesn’t look like Tank Davis‘ career will be anywhere close to Mayweather‘s in terms of legacy after choosing not to fight the likes of Vasily Lomachenko and Devin Haney in his 11-year professional career.

That is where the two fighters differ, as Mayweather was keen to take on the top opponents such as Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. As a result, his paychecks would be bigger than Tank‘s.

It’s fair to say Mayweather also had the ability to drawn in huge TV audiences for his fights, which resulted in the undefeated champion taking a bigger slice of the pie.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is being held in Dubai over money issues, according to ‘Money’s former protégé, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. ‘Tank’, who fought for Mayweather-owned boxing promotion for most of his career, parted ways in 2022 after accusing the promotion of ‘mismanaging’ his career. The two men have been feuding ever since, taking shots at each other and even making threats of physical violence.

And the latest chapter of their ongoing beef saw verbose UFC legend Chael Sonnen offer his help in ‘rescuing’ Floyd Mayweather.

Chael Sonnen offers his services to ‘free’ Floyd Mayweather

Gervonta Davis left the Mayweather Promotions two years ago and has been managing his career since. While the beef between them seemed to have died down, a recent video by Mayweather Jr. reignited it. Without naming anyone, the undefeated fighter took shots at an unnamed group of fighters, presenting himself as the point of reference to these fighters whom he accused of not working hard enough, as he did as a young man, and concentrating more on their appearances.

‘Tank’ took this as a shot at himself and came out with a fiery response. The boxer posted his former mentor’s rant on his Instagram and gave his thoughts on the topic, claiming that the GOAT contender was being held against his will in Dubai for not fulfilling his obligations despite getting paid for it.

However, the attacks didn’t stop there as the WBA lightweight champion took to Twitter and reiterated his attack. “They got Floyd ass for real..tell him I’ll send him a wire..LET MY FUCKING FAMILY GO 🗣️,” he tweeted. And verbose UFC commentator and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s critic, Chael Sonnen, jumped in to ask, tongue in cheek, “How can I help?” 

This response, of course, is perfectly in line with Sonnen’s sardonic style of commentary and fans should not expect ‘Uncle Chael’ to mount a Mission Impossible-style rescue mission to free Floyd from his alleged captivity. It should be noted that while Davis has claimed repeatedly that Mayweather is not being allowed to leave Dubai freely, there is no evidence for it except for his and rapper 50 Cent’s claims.

While ‘Tank’ may have scored a ‘W’ on Mayweather, one of his older wins is coming under question recently after Ryan Garcia‘s wildly entertaining bout against Devin Haney.

Fans want to see ‘Tank’ fight Ryan Garcia again

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis fought superstar boxer Ryan Garcia in April last year in a catchweight title bout. And while Davis managed to win after Garcia quit following a bad liver shot in the seventh round, questions are being raised around ‘Tank’s win after Garcia’s recent domination over Devin Haney earlier this month.

For their boxing match, Davis had stipulated that Garcia make 136 lbs and had a clause that prevented Garcia from rehydrating more than 10 lbs. This decision has come under criticism from many analysts and fans. After Garcia dominated Haney, many feel that the rehydration clause was the reason ‘King’ fell so meekly to Davis. Going into a fight severely dehydrated (which is mostly what weight cutting involves), does severely affect a fighter’s abilities and chin.

Many feel that Davis’s victory over Garcia is not legitimate since the now 25-year-old was not fighting at his best and that the result might be quite different if Garcia fights ‘Tank’ without the rehydration clause. But, the WBA champion is yet to respond to these calls, despite him sparing no opportunity to diss his opponents and critics, as he has been doing to Mayweather and featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson recently.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis has been out of the ring for almost a year now. Following his dominant win over Ryan Garcia last April, boxing fans have been left wondering what Davis’ next move would be.

From Teofimo Lopez to Devin Haney to even Conor Benn, plenty of potential opponents have been floated around. Yet none have materialized and no one knows when his next fight would even come. But on Wednesday, Davis dropped several hints in an Instagram post.

Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia rematch in June?

First and foremost, Davis posted a photo from his fight with Garcia. That leads many to believe a rematch could be in the works.

But the timeline doesn’t really add up. Garcia fights Haney on April 20, which would give him at most a little over two months to recover and prepare for Davis. It seems too tight of a turnaround.

Whether the opponent is Garcia or not, June appears to be the set month for Davis’ next fight. And the location will be Houston, if the geolocation on Davis’ Instagram post is to be believed.

Davis has fought in Texas once before, in San Antonio in October of 2020 when he defeated Leo Santa Cruz. But he hasn’t fought in Houston yet. Garcia actually has, with his last fight, against Oscar Duarte, being held at the Toyota Center.