The one fight that could truly shake up the lightweight division—and get boxing fans buzzing—is a showdown between Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis. On paper, it seems like an easy fight to make. But in reality? It’s taking longer than expected to come together.
Stevenson defended his WBC lightweight title last month after defeating Josh Padley on the undercard of The Last Crescendo fight. And if Tank had won his March 1st bout against Lamont Roach Jr., a Stevenson vs. Davis fight would’ve been the obvious next step.
But here’s the twist—the Brooklyn fight ended in a draw, meaning Tank now has to run it back in June or July. So, what are the odds of Tank winning the rematch? Well, if you ask Shakur Stevenson, they’re slim if not zero. The WBC Lightweight champion isn’t even entertaining the idea that Gervonta Davis could get the better of Roach this time. If you remember, on fight night, Shakur Stevenson called it a 50-50 matchup—and he was spot on.
Now, he’s doubling down. Shakur Stevenson has some interesting takes on the potential rematch between Lamont Roach and Gervonta Davis. Let’s break it down.
Gervonta Davis isn’t special for this reason
When a reporter of Fight Hub TV asked him about the rematch, the 27-year-old laid it out plain and straight. “I like Lamont in the rematch.” And honestly, that’s not a huge shocker coming from him. Why was the 23-0, 11KO boxer so confident in Roach? Simple.
“I sparred with Lamont.” He revealed that The Reaper actually helped him prepare for his fight against Oscar Valdez back in 2022. So he knows firsthand what Roach brings to the table. That, plus the way their styles match up, gave him the confidence to say Roach had what it took to win.
“I like Lamont in the rematch!”- Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson picks Lamont Roach to beat Gervonta Davis in their rematch and explains why! #TankRoach pic.twitter.com/VCiUgnMU0o
— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) March 30, 2025
Now, when asked how a rematch would play out, Shakur Stevenson got a little more guarded. He wasn’t about to give away too much, saying, “I can’t tell you game plans. I could be fighting these guys.” Fair enough—he’s keeping his cards close to his chest. But one thing’s for sure. “It’s going to be a hell of a fight,” he added.
The conversation then shifted to Gervonta Davis and whether Tank was fully himself in that fight. Some people think his mind wasn’t in the right place. But Shakur Stevenson? He’s not buying that. “Nah, he was the same Tank,” he said. In his eyes, whatever outside struggles Tank may be dealing with didn’t change the fighter he’s always been. “Everybody goes through stuff,” he explained, making it clear that he doesn’t think distractions played a role in the fight’s outcome.
Bottom line? The Newark southpaw got Roach in the rematch, and he’s shutting down any talk that Tank wasn’t himself that night. Sounds like he’s already got his popcorn ready for the second fight.
Shakur Stevenson might get lucky once Gervonta Davis handles the rematch
Shakur Stevenson’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, recently sat down with Fight Hub TV to talk about what’s next for the 27-year-old champ. And let’s just say—there are a few interesting options on the table.
During the interview, the reporter brought up the rematch between William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer, asking if the winner (which turned out to be Zepeda) would get a shot at Stevenson. Hearn confirmed that Stevenson vs. Zepeda was actually supposed to happen instead of the Josh Padley fight, since the WBC had mandated it.
So, why didn’t it go down? Well, a couple of things got in the way. First, Zepeda injured his hand during his first fight against Farmer, which forced him to delay any new matchups. Then, instead of facing Stevenson, Zepeda chose to run it back with Farmer. Now that he’s won the rematch, Stevenson vs. Zepeda seems to be the next logical fight.
But here’s where things get even more interesting. Hearn also made it clear that they’re willing to wait until September for a mega fight with Tank—as long as he gets through his rematch with Lamont Roach Jr. “But at the same time, we’ll go straight into a Tank fight if they want. Tank’s fighting, I think, on June 21st. We’re happy to wait till September for that fight,” Hearn said.
So, what does this all mean? If Stevenson vs. Zepeda doesn’t get locked in soon, we might finally see Shakur Stevenson vs. Gervonta Davis later this year. With that said, do you think Shakur Stevenson will be able to beat Gervonta Davis if they fight later this year? Let us know you thoughts in the comments below.
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