When Gervonta Davis stated his plans to return to action, there was one former world champion being deemed as the frontrunner to be his opponent, but ‘Tank’ may be forced to look elsewhere, with his targeted dance partner set to face an alternate contender.
Davis has been inactive since his controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025, but he revealed plans for a comeback back in December, where he declared his intentions of rematching Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz – who lost a decision to Davis back in 2021.
“I’m taking him next, soon as my knee gets better.”
In response, Cruz provided additional hope of witnessing the clash by unveiling his three-man hitlist, which was topped by ‘Tank.’
“First [choice] would be Gervonta Davis, then Subriel Matias, and why not Ryan Garcia. I think those three names would be fantastic for my first fight of 2026.”
However, seven months later and Davis’ return is still unknown, with Al Haymon recently detailing that the Baltimore-born knockout artist would be sidelined until 2027 – a statement which Davis has since denied.
‘Pitbull’ seems unwilling to wait around for ‘Tank’ though, as ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez has reported that Cruz looks set to defend his WBC interim super-lightweight title against Puerto Rico’s Néstor Bravo with a date of Saturday, September 19 being targeted.
Apunta pleito entre Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz y Néstor Bravo para el 19 de septiembre en USA. Arizona o California entre posibles sedes. pic.twitter.com/PgfPmnBv2Q
— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) July 11, 2026
The bout is expected to headline a bill in either Arizona or California, with Bravo looking to make an impression on the world stage and build upon a statement knockout of the year contender against Pedro Campa back in January.
It means that Davis will have to likely look elsewhere to determine his next opponent, and he has been linked to some more unlikely names in recent weeks.
