Even with the recent hiccups, Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson still remains the lightweight division’s crown jewel. It is indeed the best of lightweight divisions and can shatter records if booked correctly. For the past few years, Stevenson has been tossing out challenges toward Tank, only to be met with silence or sidesteps.

However, the dynamic massively shifted after the controversial draw against Lamont Roach Jr earlier in March. The Baltimorian is now far more open to taking on the WBC lightweight champion than he was ever before. However, he has to face Roach in a rematch before that, something even he wants to get out of the way as soon as possible. As the tensions increase, Oscar De La Hoya, a long-time admirer of Shakur Stevenson, sends a soul-crushing message to Davis.

In a recent interview with FightHypeTV, the Golden Boy was having the time of his life talking about his fighters. As the conversation came to an end, the conversation zeroed in on undefeated WBC interim lightweight champion William Zepeda. Zepeda clinched the interim title by defeating Tevin Farmer last year and is preparing for a rematch on March 29. De La Hoya sees a clear path for Camaron once he settles the score from his debated victory over Farmer. The plan? A blockbuster clash against Shakur Stevenson, a matchup that even Sugar has been clamoring for, and then a title unification bout against Gervonta Davis. The path remains straightforward, but the promoter knows that it’s no cakewalk.

“Shakur is one hard man to beat, but not impossible. His style is very difficult.” quipped De La Hoya. While the 52-year-old was talking about Zepeda’s chances against Stevenson, it was also a message to Gervonta Davis, who has looked like a shell of his best in the last few months. If Tank brings that same performance he showed against Roach, De La Hoya warned, the WBC champ won’t give him a moment’s peace in the ring.

It’s striking to see how just one fight can completely flip everyone’s perspective. Oscar De La Hoya is not the only one predicting Sugar to have an upper hand. Even Tank’s own teammate thinks likely.

Team Gervonta picks Shakur Stevenson as the favorite

The March 12 episode of Mill City Boxing aired a recorded interview with Vasyl Lomachenko‘s manager Egis Klimas over the potential comeback. When asked whether Lomachenko would prefer to face Stevenson or Devin Haney upon his return, Klimas, mentioned that a fight against Gervonta Davis will be far more exciting. He clarified it’s not about Haney or Stevenson falling short, but Davis’s explosive style just meshes better with Loma’s, in his view.

The host then turned to the Marylander’s trainer Kenny Ellis’ for his take on Klimas’ statement. Ellis agreed that Loma vs Tank would be a far more intense and action-packed fight than against Stevenson. “I think him [Loma] and Tank would be a more interesting fight because something big is going to happen, you know what I mean? Um, people probably rather see that than him and Shakur,” he said.

However, in a twist, he claimed that stylistically, Sugar would have an obvious edge over Lomachenko. “I think right now if he got in the ring with Shakur, I think Shakur would beat him,” Ellis said. Given the rivalry and animosity between these camps, the praise is quite surprising.

Whether these dream fights will unfold as everyone is predicting them to be remains to be seen. However, Shakur Stevenson has indeed increased his stocks in the last few years. On the other hand, Gervonta Davis is a slump and he would love to get out of it as soon as possible. What do you think about this dream clash? Let us know your thoughts down below.