Gervonta Davis has had a dramatic start to the year. After teasing his retirement, and debuting a new haircut, fans began to wonder if the WBA lightweight champion was on the verge of stepping away from the sport forever. The shock of it all had many speculating that the 30-0 boxer’s career might be nearing its end. However, hope quickly returned to Davis’ supporters when training videos of the fighter began circulating.
With a match set against Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1st, the prospect of Tank’s return became more real. But while fans eagerly await his next move after the Roach fight, there are several fighters lined up to take a shot at the undefeated champion. For his part, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority wants to bring Tank Davis into their fold so they make some of the biggest fights in boxing awaiting the Baltimore native.
Invitation extended to Gervonta Davis—will he accept?
Recently, ESPN’s Mike Coppinger sat down with HE Turki Alalshikh for an exclusive interview. While the conversation initially focused on the fallout from Jake Paul’s canceled fight with Canelo Alvarez and updates on Canelo’s lucrative four-fight deal with the Riyadh Season, it quickly turned to the topic of Gervonta Davis. The Ring Magazine later shared the clip on Instagram. “Turki Alalshikh speaks on potentially working with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis,” the caption read.
In the interview, Alalshikh expressed his hope of organizing a future showdown between Gervonta Davis and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. “I hope one day seeing Shakur against Tank,” His Excellency stated. This was shocking for Mike Coppinger given his estranged relationship with Davis. Remember the Ring Magazine Awards event in London last month, and how Gervonta Davis went on a tirade online about not getting invited to the gala? With that history already in place, Turki Alalshikh extending an invitation for Tank was a bit unexpected move.
So to clarify, His Excellency added that he doesn’t take things personally and that he’s focused on the business side of things when it comes to boxing. “I don’t take anything as a personal. I am professional,” Alalshikh continued. He further added, “I don’t need to like you to talk with you.”
When Coppinger pressed further, saying that the Saudi Royal seemed to appreciate Gervonta Davis’ talent, Alalshikh acknowledged that Davis was a “great fighter of course. No doubt about this.” The figurehead of the Riyadh Season explained that the world needs to see him in bigger, more significant fights. “But we need to see him in big fights more and more,” the Saudi Arabian Royal added.
Interestingly, Alalshikh isn’t the only one calling for a Davis-Stevenson clash. Boxing legend Mike Tyson has long voiced his support for the fight.
Shakur Stevenson’s challenge and Mike Tyson’s support
While Gervonta Davis has remained a hot topic in the boxing world, the upcoming fight between Shakur Stevenson and Floyd Schofield Jr. on February 22, has captured a great deal of attention. However, Stevenson isn’t just looking to defend his WBC Lightweight championship; his eyes are set on the bigger prize: Gervonta Davis. During the Ring Magazine Awards gala in London Shakur Stevenson had boldly referred to their potential fight as “the biggest fight in the world.”
In a later interview with Dev Sahni from Queensberry Promotions, Stevenson, however, expressed frustration with Davis’ mixed signals about fighting him. Despite feeling that their potential bout is the biggest fight in boxing currently, Shakur questioned whether Davis truly wanted it. He confessed, “I remember watching interviews where he says he’s going to come get me, and I am on his list. And then he’s like, ‘What has Shakur done for boxing? Who is he…?’ He seems very bipolar.”
Even a few months ago, while talking to Mase and Camron Giles on their podcast, ‘It Is What It Is’ Mike Tyson explained that Davis’ aggressive fighting style would be a perfect test for Stevenson in ways that no one else has been able to until now. “Wow, that’s a good fight. I’m going with Tank,” Tyson began when asked about the fight. “It would be a very interesting fight… Tank will bring out the best in him. Tank is just a monster,” Mike Tyson had predicted boldly at the time.
So now, with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh pushing for the showdown, and Mike Tyson throwing his weight behind it, it’s clear that the world is waiting for Gervonta Davis to step up and make his move. What do you think? Is Mike Tyson right in predicting Davis’ victory in a future showdown with Shakur Stevenson? Will Tank be the next big fighter to join hands with the Riyadh Season?
The post Gervonta Davis at Crossroads as Turki Alalshikh Proposes ‘The Biggest Fight in the World’, Endorsed by Mike Tyson appeared first on EssentiallySports.