SHAKUR Stevenson has added fuel to the flames of his fierce rivalry with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, eying up a mouth-watering showdown against the pound-for-pound star later this year.
The 27-year-old will defend his WBC world lightweight title against unbeaten prospect Floyd Schofield on February 22, featuring on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Schofield, though yet to face an opponent of Stevenson’s calibre, is widely considered to be one of the sport’s most promising rising stars.
Still, it is an assignment that Stevenson, 22-0 (10 KOs), is nonetheless expected to come through, keeping himself in the mix to collide with the very best at 135 lbs.
Davis, 30-0 (28 KOs), meanwhile, is gearing up to face WBA super featherweight titlist Lamont Roach on March 1, headlining an Amazon Prime pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
With Roach jumping up a division to take on the formidable WBA lightweight king, however, it is not the matchup that fans have largely been clamouring for.
Rather, a more appetizing showdown between Davis and Steveson – arguably the biggest fight that can be made in boxing – is surely on everyone’s wish list for 2025.
And yet, ‘Tank’ told media members at his press conference last month that Sevenson has done nothing for the sport, questioning the quality of the American’s resume.
In response, the Olympic silver medallist has claimed that the majority of Davis’ opponents have been weight drained due to rehydration clauses, preventing them from being fully rejuvenated come fight night.
“I think Tank is a hell of a fighter; I think he’s special. What he does with his talents is amazing to see – I love the way he boxes,” Stevenson told Boxing News.
“But truthfully, the same way he asks what I have done for the sport of boxing, I think he should look himself in the mirror and ask himself the same question.
“Even the guys [he’s] knocked out, they’ve all been on a [rehydration] clause. Until he fights an elite level fighter, I don’t wanna hear nothing from him.”
