“That sh*t looked like some devil sh*t.” That’s what Gervonta Davis blurted out the day before yesterday while speaking to reporters in New York regarding his reluctance to sign with his Excellency Turki Alalshikh. In a no-holds-barred diatribe, he expressed his suspicions with the Riyadh Season figurehead as well as the boxers who had already signed with him. It was only a matter of time before a response to the rebuke arrived.

As Gervonta Davis steps into the ring with Lamont Roach Jr. in just a few hours, he’s already received some bad news before the fight even starts. It seems the other party did not appreciate Tank’s assertions. Despite the head of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia initially wanting to make the Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson fight, the deal now seems to be hanging by a thread. The Ring Magazine posted an update just hours ago on X, and the outlook isn’t looking too bright.

Terence Crawford happy with his deals

In a recent update, HE Turki Alalshikh explained that he didn’t take the 30-0 boxer’s criticism personally. He acknowledged that Tank didn’t know him personally. So, his remarks are understandable, given the context. “I don’t blame Tank Davis for anything that he says; he doesn’t know,” the Riyadh Season head remarked. In an apparent dig at his finances, HE Alalshikh claimed that if Gervonta Davis saw Terence Crawford earning significantly more in just two fights than Tank has made in his entire career, it would naturally spark some frustration or resentment for him. It’s “a natural reaction,” Alalshikh quipped.

HE Alalshikh then shifted to say that they’re not going to get caught up in the Baltimore native’s words. Instead, they’ll keep focusing on organizing “great cards” and building up the sport. “We will let him keep talking and we will continue making great cards,” he added. Meanwhile, Terence Crawford, who has already made a fortune, will continue to enjoy the fruits of his collaboration with the Riyadh Season, “thinking how he will spend his money.”

In other words, the GEA Chairman is suggesting that while Gervonta Davis can keep talking, they’ll keep moving forward with their business and let Crawford focus on his wealth. Overall, Alalshikh is downplaying the drama, saying that the success of his events speaks for itself and that the 30-year-old’s comments are just part of the game.

This seems a muted response considering what Gervonta Davis insinuated during his discussion with the media.

Gervonta Davis slams boxers for making deals with Turki Alalshikh

The drama between the 30-year-old and Turki Alalshikh kicked off last month when Davis wasn’t invited to The Ring magazine awards gala in London. Despite the tension, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority made it clear he was still open to working with Tank, especially for a potential fight with Shakur Stevenson in Riyadh. It seemed like there was still hope for a deal, but things took a turn.

During the final media day in New York, Tank aired his grievances. Davis expressed his thoughts on what he perceived as people “selling themselves” when asked about the boxers who had already signed with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Gervonta Davis then, referring to the picture HE Alalshikh took with the boxers at the event, remarked, “That sh*t looked like some devil sh*t.” But that’s not all. Gervonta Davis further added that the boxers looked like they “sold their souls.”

Davis also pointed to a recent fiasco where Alalshikh personally informed Hamzah Sheeraz and his team during a fight that he was losing on the scorecards, which only added to his suspicions about Turki Alalshikh’s involvement in boxing. It seems there is no mending this bond anytime soon. With Davis once again breaking the Barclays Center ticket sales record with his Roach fight, it doesn’t look like he is too concerned with making any deals or even losing out on them.

So what do you think about the situation? Do you think a Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis fight will ever materialize?