Breaking
Tag

DEVIN HANEY

Browsing
BOXING

Gervonta Davis ruthlessly trolls Devin Haney in first response after Ryan Garcia beats champion

By

Gervonta Davis has immediately mocked Devin Haney after he was beaten by Ryan Garcia.

Garcia was the underdog in a clash with WBC super-lightweight champion Haney, with the challenger having missed weight meaning he was unable to win the belt.

GettyImages-2149467790.webp

And the favorite was sent crashing to the canvas three times in a fight which saw him lose on the judges scorecards’ by majority decision.

Davis immediately took to social media to mock Haney and his father Bill who was ringside, tweeting: “Forget Devin. WHERE BILL AT WHERE DIRT AT!”

He then added in a separate tweet: “And what about you d*** riding a** people.

“Yo I’m gonna give you all the address to dirt spot in Cherry Hill.

“Need you all to send mad pics, a big a** poster to his crib of Devin a** in the air (pause).”

Garcia’s conqueror then concluded his trolling session, by finishing: “That’s what happens when you fight someone the same size as you.”

Davis beat Garcia in April 2023 stopping him to hand ‘King Ry’ the maiden defeat of his professional career.

‘Tank’ also holds a rivalry with Haney as the pair have previously talked up a showdown, which has yet to materialize.

Davis-vs-Garcia-Final-Press-Conference-04.20.23_04_22_2023_Presser-4.webp

Garcia bounced back in sensational style, with Haney able to reach the final bell despite touching the canvas in the seventh, tenth and eleventh periods.

Haney does retain his belt due to Garcia missing weight for the 140lbs clash, and he will now look to rebuild in a similar way to his rival’s redemption path after losing to Davis.

In the aftermath of the clash, Haney insisted he would be open to a sequel next.

Garcia shared the same opinion, and said in his post-fight interview: “I would love a rematch.

“I gave him a shot, it’s only right he gives me a shot back.

“He didn’t make weight so I’m still the champion. We can run it back.”

Garcia’s stocks have rose significantly, and now a mouthwatering second showdown with Davis seems likely down the line.

It was a monumental display from the winner, who had received so much concern from the boxing world prior to the showdown.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

“He made the highlight film”: Bill Haney Targets Floyd Mayweather for Creating Devin Haney vs Gervonta Davis Sparring Fiasco

By

The lead-up to the fight between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney is filled with name-calling. The latter’s father-cum-trainer, Bill Haney, has now roped in Floyd Mayweather and his business aide, Leonard Ellerbe, accusing the duo of recording a controversial sparring video of his son, that went viral earlier this month.

Hostilities percolate deep within for the 20th April matchup. ‘Ry’ in his means of pulling down his opponent, leaked a video of Gervonta Davis causing serious damage to ‘The Dream’ in an old sparring session at the Mayweather Gym. While it looked like the controversy had died down in light of Ry’s other internet antics, it seems like senior Haney is still sore about it.

Bill Haney speaks up for his son!
When asked about the video that showed his son taking some major beating, a riled-up Bill Haney blamed Mayweather and his promotion company’s CEO Leonard Ellerbe for recording the video. He remarked to Fight Hub TV, “He didn’t leak the video, he made the highlight film and then gave it to Ryan Garcia to leak it.”

As per reports, the video dates back to when Devin, now 25, was almost 17 and ‘Tank’, now 29 was 21. In the video, Tank can be seen going hard at Haney, leaving him hardly any moment to recuperate. While it showed the 2-division champion under heavy pressure, he claimed that the fight was edited to omit the last few moments of it.

Why did they not release the entire video, though? Senior noted, “Same reason why Floyd didn’t show the video of Devin when he got in his a**. Imma tell you this one time, I guarantee you, after Floyd got in there with Devin, he rethought boxing from a professional standpoint and not an exhibition standpoint.”

In an earlier interview, Senior Haney claimed that when ‘Money’ and his son sparred, the former welterweight champion was not even close to making it equal to Devin Haney. He noted, “He should’ve showed the sparring video of him and Devin while he’s showing all those sparring videos. And it was 6-0, it wasn’t close.”

The Haneys and Mayweather are not on good terms. Post the ‘KingRy’ fight, if he successfully dominates it, Haney will strongly push for a fight against the WBA light titlist, Tank. While he is no longer associated with ‘Pretty Boy’, there are worries if his cordial relationship with the latter implicates the fight against Haney. To these concerns, Bill Haney has an answer.

Gervonta Davis vs Devin Haney - COUNTDOWN (FULL HD) - YouTube

‘Money’ cannot harm Devin Haney vs. Gervonta Davis
In the conversation, Bill Haney observed that his beef with Mayweather and Ellerbe would not jeopardise a fight between his son and Davis. After all, it is the audience that seeks this fight, and their wish is his command.

He explained, “No, the people pay the bills. Leonard don’t pay the bills. Floyd don’t pay the bills. The people, all you guys, pay for the fight. They can’t, we don’t dictate that. You guys put the bullseye on a fighter’s back. Leonard don’t dictate nothing.”

What do you think about the entire fiasco between the Haneys and Garcia-Mayweather? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Ryan Garcia Claims He Could Knockout Prime Floyd Mayweather: What’s he thinking?

By

The rising star of boxing Ryan Garcia hung out with retired legend Floyd Mayweather on several occasions. Back in January this year, ‘KingRy’ even went on a run with Mayweather on the streets of Las Vegas. This friendly relationship brewing between the two poured gasoline on the already fierce rivalry between Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. It even raised concerns about the relationship between Garcia and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya being permanently fractured.

De La Hoya and Mayweather are long-time foes, and their bad blood dates back to their contentious fight in 2007. The former six-division world champion suspected foul play when Garcia was spotted with his nemesis, Mayweather, so many times. He warned ‘Money’ against having an influence on Garcia’s business decisions by acting as his promoter. In response, ‘KingRy’ came to Mayweather’s defense, claiming that he was just ‘mentoring’ him. In that context, De La Hoya didn’t mind Floyd giving tips to improve Garcia’s in-ring skills. However, after spending time working out, and training together, Garcia claimed in a recent X Spaces conversation that he’d knock out Mayweather.

Ryan Garcia believes he’d dominate ‘prime’ Floyd Mayweather
In a conversation on X, Ryan Garcia was asked who he believed, among the classic boxers, that he’d knock out in their prime. His options were Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Floyd Patterson. Well, Garcia ignored the list and claimed that he’d knock ‘prime’ Floyd Mayweather out in a boxing fight.

Floyd Mayweather in talks to fight YouTube star Money Kicks in exhibition event | The Independent

Garcia said, “I honestly in their prime, I believe I could knock out Floyd Mayweather.” Well, this shocked the person who asked the question, since he took the name of Floyd Patterson, while Garcia misheard it to be Floyd Mayweather. Still, this shocked the panel, considering that he seemed to have a great relationship with ‘Money’.

The rift in their friendship might have been caused by Mayweather instigating Garcia to fight Rolly Romero which did not materialize eventually.

Garcia admits to being influenced by Floyd Mayweather
Before booking the Haney fight, Garcia skimmed through a plethora of opponents. When negotiations were all but finalized with Devin Haney, a meeting with his inner circle and a chat with the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. sent his initial plans of fighting Haney for a toss.

Boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather | Former boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather on visiting India, his biggest learnings, his post-boxing plans and more - Telegraph India

He stated, “I’m in Vegas, I’m having a great time, I’m hanging out with Floyd… Floyd’s pretty influential, he’s like ‘Why would you do that, why don’t you you fight Rolly for the belt and then fight Devin Haney?’… And then I made a quick decision, I said ‘Floyd, that makes sense, I’ll go get another belt’.”

In the end, Rolly Romero ended up choosing Isaac Cruz over Ryan Garcia, and Garcia had to fall back to fighting Devin Haney.

What are your thoughts about the dynamics between Garcia and Mayweather? Let us know in the comments section.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Claressa Shields Keeps Personal Beef Aside in Support of Rival Alycia Baumgardner After Adrien Broner Crosses a Line

By

Adrien Broner has ignited a social media firestorm by hurling vulgar insults towards undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner. This personal attack appears to be an escalation of an existing feud between Broner and Devin Haney‘s father Bill Haney.

This has even called for female undisputed champion Claressa Shields’ attention as she felt sorry for her friend-turned-rival. She talked about how her past shouldn’t have been spoken about and that Baumgardner has entangled with a man who has no filter.

Claressa Shields has a wholesome message
A potential future fight has been brewing between two American boxing champions, Claressa Shields and Alycia Baumgardner. Shields publicly taunted Baumgardner, promising a dominant victory if they ever meet in the ring. This challenge came despite Baumgardner’s current suspension stemming from an adverse finding in a drug test. Baumgardner maintains her innocence and claimed in November 2023 that independent testing exonerates her.

Since then, they’ve been going back-and-forth against each other, however the recent verbal altercation of Baumgardner with Broner had even the champion backpedal on her beef. Shields wrote, “I ain’t gone lie… I hate this for her. Only because she arguing with a person who has no filter…. I just hope he don’t post no footage. That’s not fair we all have a past and grow from that.”

This post came after Broner posted a video on Instagram talking about Baumgardner’s past relationships, in response to her Instagram Live with Bill Haney. Furthermore, to understand the context even better, it’s important to know the reason behind the debacle between Bill Haney and Adrien Broner.

Adrien Broner might replace Ryan Garcia
The upcoming super lightweight title fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia on April 20th is facing uncertainty. Concerns over Garcia’s recent behavior has prompted Haney’s team to explore alternatives. Adrien Broner, a former four-division world champion, has emerged as a potential replacement. Bill Haney sees Broner’s experience and name recognition as a safer option compared to a lesser-known fighter.

With time running out before the DAZN pay-per-view event, a decision on Garcia’s participation and a potential replacement will need to be made soon. So, Bill Haney called out Broner and said, “If it was going to be on 4/20, is you going to be there? Is he going to be there if it was on 4/20? Can we depend on you, AB, because they say the last guy [Ryan Garcia] went crazy. Since you left without the dough, and want to step up on 4/20. Let’s see if everybody else [Ryan] said they were going to do and didn’t.”

Furthermore, he continued, “I do respect you, AB, so, I won’t be blindsided by your decision. I don’t know who is going to be fighting on 4/20. I know Devin Haney is going to be there. He’s got the date.” After this, they both participated in trash-talking with each other, and Bill tried to convince Broner to fight his son. What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments section.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

“Really Hope Francis Is Okay”: Pros React to Anthony Joshua Knocking Out Francis Ngannou After Multiple Knockdowns

By

Since Francis Ngannou went the distance of 10 rounds against Tyson Fury in his debut match last year, many expected ‘The Predator’ to deliver yet another spectacular performance against Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, calling himself “the underground king,” Ngannou even declared he would knock out ‘AJ’ with a clean shot. However, Joshua, labeling Ngannou as his “main focus,” considered the fight his “everything“.

Similarly, ‘AJ’ fought the fight, living up to his and his coach, Ben Davidson‘s expectations. In only the second round of the match, Anthony Joshua put Francis Ngannou to sleep. On that note, following the event, several professional boxers took to social media and lauded Joshua’s boxing.

Claressa Shields, Devin Haney, Nico Ali Walsh, and others praise Anthony Joshua’s stunning treatment of Francis Ngannou

After the bell rang, Anthony Joshua, despite being patient, did not waste his time. He kept Ngannnou, who hopes to have a rematch with Fury, surprised and guessing for as long as the duo fought. In the first round of the fight, after Ngannou shifted to the southpaw stance, Joshua measured the range and hit the former with a fast right hand to score the first knockdown of the fight. In the second round, with less than a minute left, ‘AJ’ knocked ‘The Predator’ down for the second time. And right after Ngannou stood up on his feet, Joshua landed a solid cross on Ngannou’s chin, which saw the latter’s soul leave the body.

Reacting to Joshua’s win, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, Nico Ali Walsh, said, “Really hope Francis is okay. No surprise by Joshua…”

On the other hand, Claressa Shields said, “Wow, boxing wins again.” However, she also appreciated Francis Ngannou’s efforts.

Meanwhile, KSI wrote, “What a KO Anthony Joshua. YOU ARE HIM!”

In a similar tone, Sunny Edwards, said, “That’s a bad knockout.”

According to Stephen Espinoza, the result of Fury vs. Ngannou “said more about Fury than Ngannou.” In his opinion, it is not that Ngannou is an extraordinary boxer but, Fury did not fight ‘The Predator’ like he should have had in 2023.

Finally, Devin Haney extended his congratulations to Joshua’s coach, Ben Davidson.

With that said, what do you have to say about Anthony Joshua’s KO win over Francis Ngannou? Do you think the cross he landed on Francis was impressive? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more boxing updates,

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Claressa Shields Praises Ryan Garcia Hitting Mitts Ahead of Devin Haney Fight

By

In the boxing world, eyes are on Ryan Garcia as he preps for Devin Haney. Their fight is slated for April 20th, stirring anticipation. Recently, Garcia’s behavior has sparked discussions. His social media is a mix of erratic and intriguing posts. A notable clip showed him shadowboxing in slow motion.

Derrick James, his trainer, watched, visibly annoyed by the spectacle. This wasn’t typical training footage. Yet, Claressa Shields saw potential in Garcia’s mitt-hitting session. The champion boxer shared the clip, signaling approval. Her recognition shifts the narrative, suggesting Garcia is more focused than perceived.

Ryan Garcia recently took to social media, flashing speed in a compelling mitt workout video. He captioned the post with a blend of humor and self-awareness, stating, “Nothing to see here 👀👀👀 I’m crazy remember 😆😆😆 A lunatic that boxes oh shoot watch out 🤜 Who knows what this manic may do 😅.” This post emerges amidst the boxer’s series of enigmatic and controversial social media activities, sparking widespread speculation about his state of mind and readiness for the upcoming bout.

In response, Claressa Shields, the GWOAT, shared Garcia’s clip on her story, offering her stamp of approval. She wrote, “Now this actually looks good,” tagging Ryan, thereby aligning her credibility with his displayed skills. Her endorsement serves as a significant morale booster.

Subtly suggesting that behind Garcia’s erratic public persona lies a focused athlete who is seriously honing his craft for the high-stakes clash against Devin Haney. Although Ryan looks good in this clip, he still has things going on with him outside the ring.

Ryan Garcia claims that his ’emotional clip’ was shortened to make it look different
Ryan Garcia recently addressed the misconceptions surrounding a particularly emotional clip circulating online. On his X account, he clarified the tears shed were an expression of his deep religious fervor, not mental health concerns. “Praise Jesus, those who know the Holy Spirit will make a grown man cry. You shortened the video I was worshipping God on my TikTok live with my community,” Garcia expressed, emphasizing the spiritual context misunderstood by many.

Claressa Shields fighting for gender equality for women boxers | The Hill

He criticized the misleading portrayal, stating, “I love God and you titled this as if I was crying due to mental instability. I find it distasteful, and disrespectful to my beliefs. But again, get your clicks and views. See you 4/20.” The Victorville native called out famed journalist Michael Benson for posting the clip to gain views. This statement also reflects Garcia’s attempt to set the record straight, reinforcing his connection to his faith over unfounded speculations.

As Garcia continues to fight the demons, what’s more important is the upcoming Brooklyn fight between the former undisputed lightweight champion and the current WBC Super Lightweight Champion. Will this blend of vulnerability and strength propel ‘King’ to new heights? Garcia’s fight against ‘The Dream’ goes down to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Gervonta Davis vs Frank Martin Undercard: List of All Fights From David Benavidez to Demetrius Andrade Set for June 15, 2024

By

Gervonta Davis, boxing’s knockout king, is returning to the ring! After his spectacular seventh-round KO over Ryan Garcia last year, Davis is now set to headline a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view event. Davis is looking to make a statement. He recently inherited the WBA lightweight title after the former undisputed champion Devin Haney moved up in weight.

Standing in his way is the tough and resilient Frank Martin. Martin’s last fight was a close decision win, solidified by a dramatic 12th-round knockdown. He’s no stranger to taking on tough competition, with victories over Michel Rivera and Jackson Marinez under his belt. This would be a great battle between two southpaw boxers. Even the undercard fights of this event has everybody whispering.

The main-card roster revealed for June 15th
Gervonta Davis’ boxing trainer Calvin Ford surprised the fans with stellar names for the main card of the Davis-Martin event via his Instagram story. Well, the first names that would sparkle the eyes of the beholder, besides the main event, are none other than that of David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. This would highlight the night as the co-main event, and this is the first fight of Benavidez at 175. Moreover, as per the WBC, the winner of this bout will go and face the winner of the undisputed clash between Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.

The next in line is the rematch between Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela. In September 2022, Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela collided in a high-stakes battle that saw both fighters hitting the canvas in the second round. Despite the early setback, De Los Santos rallied and sent Valenzuela crashing to the canvas once again in the third round.

The next fight had David Benavidez’s rival Demetrius Andrade going against David Morrell. This might seem a bit anticlimactic since Morrell had been trying his hardest to land a fight against Benavidez, but now he will have to face his previous opponent instead. However, if he manages to win this fight, his chances of facing ‘The Mexican Monster’ will increase drastically. So it’s still a great opportunity for the boxer. It will be a jam-packed main card, as all these fights seem quite interesting and relevant.

What are your thoughts about these undercard fights? Let us know in the comments section.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Claressa Shields “Can’t Breath” as Ryan Garcia Makes Unexpected Admission During Devin Haney Press Conference

By

Ahead of the bout scheduled for April 20th, at the press conference in New York, Ryan Garcia made a spectacle, bantering with Devin Haney. Besides boldly expressing that he desired to stop the WBC Super-Lightweight champion with only his “right hand“, ‘KingRy’ promised to retire professionally given he was knocked out by ‘The Dream’ in the very first round of their fight. But, the boxing world raised an eyebrow when Haney alleged that Garcia arrived drunk at their press conference.

Infuriated by Devin’s allegation, Garcia claimed he would “drink beer” and still “beat the f**k out of” Haney. Soon, the situation was aggravated when Garcia later smoked w**d live on social media, claiming he was “high as f**k“. At this, while the boxing community questioned Garcia’s integrity, Claressa Shields, the undisputed Middleweight champion, reacted to Garcia’s antics.

Claressa Shields finds Ryan Garcia’s trash talk superfluous
At the New York press conference, Devin Haney claimed Garcia lacked the IQ, skills, and heart required to face ‘The Dream’. In addition to that, Haney referred to Garcia’s fight with Gervonta Davis. In the 7th round of their fight, Davis hit Garcia with a powerful body shot which led ‘KingRy’ to quit. Therefore, Haney said, “We’ve seen you take a knee, and it won’t be no different. When it gets hot, you quit.” However, Garcia claimed he would beat Haney up intoxicated.

At this, reacting to Garcia’s comments, Claressa Shields wrote, “Y’all i can’t breathe! Ryan said he drink & smoke weed!!!! this is the craziest press conference I’ve ever seen!” Anyway, even though Shields found Garcia’s banter with Haney entertaining, she thought Garcia was being over the top. Likewise, in a follow-up, Shields said, “I think the trash talk is too much for Ryan Garcia.”

In this context, it is worth mentioning that Shields is not the only person who feels Garcia crossed a line. In his latest interview with Fight Hub TV, even Caleb Plant implied that ‘KingRy’ was being carried away by his emotion. However, Garcia is scarcely bothered by Plant or Shields’ comments. As a result, the 25-year-old rode a horse to the LA press conference today to startle his fans more. Anyway, what do you make of Claressa’s reaction to Garcia’s trash talk? Do you find Garcia’s statements over the top too? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

‘I want them’ – Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney eyed by Saudi Arabia, but no more YouTuber fights after Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury

By

Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney are the latest names to be targeted for fights in Saudi Arabia in the near future.

Less than six months after entering the sport, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh (chairman of Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority – GEA) has made a serious impact.

Gervonta Davis knocks out Ryan Garcia in seventh round | Boxing News | Al Jazeera

The first two shows backed by the GEA have seen Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder all travel to fight in Riyadh, supported by several other top names from the sport.

Fury will now fight Oleksandr Usyk there on February 17, and this will be followed shortly afterwards by AJ vs Ngannou on March 8.

And the plans don’t stop there as Alalshikh has made it clear that he wants to stage Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol in June.

Now, in an interview with DAZN, he has spoken in depth about his plans and revealed that Davis and Haney are two names he wants to bring to Saudi.

Devin Haney becomes two-weight world champion after unanimous decision against Regis Prograis | Boxing News | Sky Sports

“I want him [Davis] and I send message now to Al Haymon [Davis’ advisor] – let’s do the job brother,” Alalshikh said.

“I want to see Haney in my country and I send message now to him. I will try to do it in 2024.”

Asked if he would like to match them against one another, Alalshikh indeed gave a nod of approval.

However, he is not the first person to stage big-time boxing in Saudi Arabia.

Previously, Skill Challenge Entertainment hosted fights such as the Joshua vs Andy Ruiz rematch and the Joshua vs Usyk rematch in the country.

Gervonta Davis Vacates 130-Pound WBA Title; Can Retain 135-, 140-Pound Belts | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report

They also staged Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury in Diriyah last year.

There won’t be any further such YouTuber boxing events moving forwards though, as Alalshikh is adamant that he’s a boxing purist.

“Please, we don’t want any YouTuber fights again,” he insisted.

“I want fighters, this is what I support. For me, inside my heart, I want the fighters.”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Gervonta Davis Now Sole Recognized WBA Lightweight Titlist; Haney Removed As ‘Super’ Champ

By

The new year has begun with one less WBA belt in existence.

Devin Haney was formally removed as WBA ‘Super’ lightweight champion in the sanctioning body’s latest ratings update which published Tuesday. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is now the sole recognized WBA titleholder at the weight, having previously held WBA ‘Regular’ status.

The move was expected, when Haney (31-0, 15KOs) declared in late November that he was prepared to abandon his unified lightweight championship to fully compete at junior welterweight. The announcement was made prior to his WBC 140-pound title win over Regis Prograis. Haney delivered a tour-de-force performance atop a December 9 DAZN Pay-Per-View event from Chase Center in his birth town of San Francisco, California.

Despite his prior declaration, Haney was still the recognized WBA ‘Super’ lightweight champion as of the December 1 WBA rankings and headed into his fight versus Prograis.

Baltimore’s Davis (29-0, 27KOs) has yet to publicly comment on his newfound status as full titleholder. The only recent round of news involving the two-division titlist and boxing superstar was his recent conversion to Islam and that he chose the name Abdul Wahid (“Servant of The One”) upon his acceptance of Allah.

Gervonta Davis changes his name like Muhammad Ali: What's his new Muslim name? | Marca

Monday’s development barely changes things for Davis, whose current title reign dates back to a December 2019 twelfth-round knockout of Yuriorkis Gamboa. The only real change is the absence of a primary title ahead of his belt, which means he is free to further unify the division if that is the road he chooses to travel. The only other active lightweight titlist is Shakur Stevenson, who claimed the vacant WBC belt in a twelve-round, unanimous decision win over Edwin De Los Santos last November 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The IBF and WBO belts are both currently vacant. The IBF belt will iikely be at stake in a proposed Vasiliy Lomachenko-George Kambosos fight targeted for this spring. Denis Berinchyk would then become the leading candidate to fight for the vacant WBO title versus an opponent to be determined.

Davis has not fought since a seventh-round knockout of Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20KOs) last April 22 at T-Mobile Arena. The bout was fought at a 136-pound catchweight in a non-title fight, with Davis’ WBA title not at stake.

Team Gervonta Davis Does Not Believe Fight With Jose Valenzuela Would Last More Than Three Rounds - Boxing News

It mattered little to the masses; the fight sold a reported 1.2 million pay-per-view units and generated an estimated $22.8 million live gate atop a Showtime Pay-Per-View that served as the highest grossing event of 2023.

Davis last defended his WBA title in a stoppage win over previously unbeaten WBA junior lightweight titlist Hector Garcia after nine rounds. Garcia (no relation to Ryan) moved up in weight to unsuccessfully challenge Davis last January 6 at MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

No decision was yet made by the WBA as to whether Davis will be ordered to make a mandatory title defense; his last such obligation came in a May 2021 knockout win over then-unbeaten Rolando Romero.

Isaac Cruz and William Zepeda—a pair of contenders from Mexico—are the highest-ranked WBA lightweight contenders. Both have frequently expressed an interest in facing Davis.

Gervonta Davis' plea deal rejected after 2021 hit-and-run crash

Cruz has been teased as a leading candidate to next face Davis. Such a fight would represent a rematch to their December 2021 meeting, won by Davis via unanimous decision which snapped his sixteen-fight knockout streak. Cruz has since won three in a row, including a unanimous decision over Giovanni Cabrera last July 29 in Las Vegas.

Zepeda is due to fight in the first quarter of 2023, though an opponent was not yet identified as this goes to publication. The 27-year-old southpaw earned knockout victories over Jaime Arboleda and Merctio Gesta for his two bouts in 2023.

Keep Reading
By