WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis just cleared the air about the confusion around his next title defense against WBA super featherweight champion Lamont Roach. The duo was slated to lock horns on December 14th at the Toyota Center, Houston, but a recent report from Boxing Scene suggested that it could be pushed. To when?
According to the boxing media house, people associated with Davis had confirmed to them that the bout was being reworked and could be turned into a doubleheader. They reported that Davis-Roach was now being eyed for a January 25th date in the co-main event of the potential David Benavidez vs. David Morrell fight, who are vying for a bout on the same date in Las Vegas.
Benavidez and Davis appeared on the Amazon Prime pay-per-view card together back in June earlier this year when Davis defended his title against Frank Martin via an 8th-round knockout and Benavidez emerged victorious over Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Regardless, after talkSport editor Michael Benson shared this news on X today, Davis had just one word for it—“Cap.”
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— Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) October 26, 2024
This means that the reports of the move may not be completely true. ‘Tank’ originally sought a unification bout against IBF lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko or WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. However, Lomachenko pulled out and is now contemplating retirement while the talks for the Stevenson fight had come to a halt. Nonetheless, the reason behind the change in Davis’ fight was reportedly a series of situations that made it “wobbly”.
Despite Davis’ claims against the doubleheader, there were some big names tossed around for the main card.
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Who are on the potential Gervonta Davis & David Benavidez undercard?
What’s your perspective on:
Is Gervonta Davis's fight delay a strategic move or just another boxing blunder?
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Boxing Scene reported that because Davis was such a massive favorite in this bout, Premier Boxing Champions was trying to create more interest in the card by adding a fight between newly elevated WBC featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton, with Fulton winning their first fight in 2021.
Even Jermall Charlo’s name was mentioned to be potentially added to the card, though no names were mentioned for his opponent. The initial December 14th date seemed too close to the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch to draw significant PPV interest, making the new January 25th date seem more practical. However, with Davis’ latest tweet, it now appears they may end up competing with the heavyweight bout for viewership.
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That said, while Gervonta Davis has suggested his fight date remains set, the full story behind the scenes is still unclear. Or it could be business as usual, with Davis facing Lamont Roach without a hitch on December 14. What do you think?
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Is Gervonta Davis's fight delay a strategic move or just another boxing blunder?