It’s always exciting when Gervonta Davis is part of the conversation, especially if the topic is Davis’ next fight. Some speculated that Jose Valenzuela could be the next guy on the line, but is that really the truth? Valenzuela’s legendary trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia himself has come out to shed light on the matter. Things began yesterday when a clip of ‘Rayo’ and Ryan Garcia surfaced online. The duo seemingly agreed to square off against each other in April next year at a catchweight of 145 pounds. However, interestingly, in an interview before this clip came out, ‘Rayo’ was talking some smack about someone else entirely.

The 25-year-old was challenging Gervonta Davis to a fight, claiming that even though he had been defeated by Edwin De Los Santos and Chris Colbert, those losses cost his opponents as well. He argued that, given the right training camp, he could replicate his latest win against Isaac Cruz, which shocked the world and made him the new WBA super lightweight champion, against Tank Davis as well.

A user on X highlighted Valenzuela’s challenge to both Garcia and Davis, suggesting, “I guess that’s why @GarciaBoxing told the people he won’t let him [fight] again this year.” This seems to have prompted a quick response from Robert Garcia, who shared the reality of the situation to correct the misinformed user.

Robert didn’t mince his words as he wrote back, “I didn[‘]t say [I] didn[‘]t let him,” explaining, “I said he wasn[‘]t fighting this year.” Robert claimed Valenzuela was in a rough five-month training camp for his fight against Isaac Cruz, which was initially supposed to have happened in the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin on June 15th.

However, the bout was later pushed to August 3rd on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov, which is why he didn’t want Valenzuela to fight anyone this year—so, he could get the much-needed rest before entering the ring once again for a tough fight. He finally revealed whether Valenzuela would fight Davis this year.

“[I don’t know] where everyone got the idea or news he was fighting [Tank] 2 1/2 months after, but that was never true,” Robert Garcia clarified. Plus, if Valenzuela wants to fight Davis, he will have to climb down to 135 pounds where Davis is, which some sources say is a possibility, but the same was never confirmed would happen so soon after his fight against Cruz. Regardless, it’s not like ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela has a lack of challengers in the 140-pound division.

Andy Hiraoka wants Jose Valenzuela next

Yokohama’s Andy Hiraoka has set his sights on a new challenge following his dominant victory over Ismael Barroso a few days ago. The unbeaten boxer decisively ended Barroso’s challenge in the ninth round, showcasing his superior skill and power. The Japanese fighter controlled the fight with his speed and tactical acumen, dropping Barroso three times before the referee called the bout off thereby claiming Barroso’s Interim WBA super lightweight title.

In the aftermath of his impressive win, Hiraoka made it clear who he wanted to face next. “I’m coming for you, bro,” Hiraoka declared, targeting WBA super lightweight champion Jose Valenzuela. With his recent performance underlining his readiness for top-level competition, Hiraoka’s challenge to Valenzuela has set the stage for what could be an exciting matchup in the super lightweight division.

With a solid win over Isaac Cruz, several doors seem to have opened up for Jose Valenzuela. However, whether one of those doors leads to a showdown with Gervonta Davis is yet to be seen, as revealed by Robert Garcia. Would you like to see that fight if it happens?