As talk continues over Gervonta Davis’ return to the ring, the WBA have now officially ordered him to defend his lightweight belt.
‘Tank’ has been out of action since a majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr back in March 2025, retaining his belt controversially as many felt Roach did enough to win, particularly after the champion took a knee in the ninth round. Referee Steve Willis began counting, but stopped at three and ultimately did not rule it an official knockdown. Had he done so, and the rest of the action remained the same, Roach would have won on the cards.
Davis has not defended the belt for over a year, having had a planned exhibition with Jake Paul cancelled and several legal issues outside of the ring.
The WBA has now taken action, ordering him to face undefeated number one contender Floyd Schofield next.
“The World Boxing Association Championships Committee has officially ordered the mandatory lightweight title bout between reigning champion Gervonta Davis and the division’s No. 1 contender, Floyd Schofield.
“The pioneering organisation sent formal notification to both camps this Saturday, May 23, granting the parties a 30-day negotiation period that will expire on June 22 … The WBA will now allow the respective teams the allotted negotiation window to reach an agreement. Should the parties fail to come to terms — or if either side refuses to negotiate — the organization may proceed with a purse bid in accordance with its internal rules and regulations.”
Schofield’s team had been petitioning for the fight and had threatened legal intervention. Having secured the mandatory position, they will now hope Davis honours the order, though many fans believe the unbeaten contender may ultimately end up fighting for a vacant belt instead.
‘Tank’ is notoriously unpredictable when it comes to matchmaking and was recently linked to a rematch with Isaac Cruz at super-lightweight. Despite that reportedly now being off the table, the big puncher from Baltimore may instead pursue a bigger name, such as the returning Vasiliy Lomachenko, rather than this tricky mandatory.
