Among boxing fans, the consensus is clear—a showdown between WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is the most highly anticipated fight in the division. Even heavyweight legend Mike Tyson is on board with the bout, having endorsed the skirmish on tape. 

Despite Stevenson’s recent fights being criticized as lackluster, Tyson has declared that a Davis vs. Stevenson matchup is the fight to watch. He believes it will push Stevenson to showcase his very best. Tyson appeared in the ‘It Is What It Is’ podcast alongside Mase and Camron Giles, where Tyson said, “That’s a good fight” about Davis vs. Stevenson. 

“I’m going with Tank. It would be a very interesting fight. To bring out the best in Shakur, you gotta pressure him like Tank. Tank will bring out the best in him. Tank is just a monster,” he added. However, not everyone shares Tyson’s enthusiasm for the potential matchup between the two biggest names in the lightweight division. 

Former four-division titleholder Mikey Garcia didn’t mince his words while explaining why a fight between Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson is not on top of his wishlist. Garcia gave props to Stevenson for being a brilliant boxer, who sticks to his strengths to win, but he claimed, “As a fight fan, that turns me off.”

“As a fighter I applaud him, I understand him [Shakur Stevenson], I give him all the respect for his skills,” he added. However, Garcia claimed he would much rather see Gervonta Davis fight Vasyl Lomachenko, noting, “I much rather see Tank fight other guys for example, Lomachenko.” 

Later in the interview, the 37-year-old suggested that if the fight happens it would be boring. “Shakur Stevenson’s [against Davis] gonna be a dull, not as exciting of a matchup. And that’s why he’s gonna have a tough time getting some of these big fights,” he told Fight Hub. Meanwhile, both Stevenson and Davis are slated to appear in the ring against their respective opponents. 

Davis will lock horns with WBA featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1st in Brooklyn. And Stevenson will go toe-to-toe with one of the brightest lightweight prospects Floyd Schofield Jr. on February 22nd in Riyadh. However, this hasn’t dulled the rivalry between Davis and Stevenson.

Shakur Stevenson claims Gervonta Davis is lying 

Shakur Stevenson has dismissed Gervonta Davis’ claims about their past sparring sessions, calling them outright lies. Davis has previously stated that he “cracked” Stevenson and had him retreating during their sparring. Davis’ trainer, Kenny Ellis, even alleged that Stevenson left their camp early after breaking a tooth.

Stevenson, however, vehemently denies these assertions. “He’s lying, he never in his life hurt me. I’ve got a hell of a chin,” Stevenson told talkSPORT. He described their sparring as competitive and revealed that Davis once praised him, saying, “Bro, you have got so much better. Bro, you are so good.” 

Stevenson believes Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh could facilitate their long-awaited clash, adding, “The ball is in his court… Turki has got the money, I don’t.”

That said, even though Mikey Garcia might not be on board with the fight, and for good reason, it appears a fight between the two is an important moment that boxing and fans need to witness. Whether this moment will ever come is yet to be seen, but do you agree with Garcia?