For a whole year, Gervonta Davis brushed off the idea of fighting Shakur Stevenson, saying the WBC lightweight champion didn’t have a strong enough resume. But last month, in an interview with NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith on ESPN, Tank finally admitted he was willing to make the fight happen.

Had he taken care of business against Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1st, we’d now be gearing up for one of boxing’s biggest showdowns. But as we all know, that fight ended in a draw, so now, instead of facing the Newark native, Gervonta Davis has to handle his unfinished business in a rematch this June or July.

Now, you might be thinking, ‘Okay, he can still fight Shakur Stevenson after the rematch, right?’ But here’s the thing—he probably won’t. At least, not anytime soon. Why? Well, according to veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael, the long-awaited fight might be put on ice yet again. Even a former two-division world champion backed this up, making it clear that Stevenson’s wish to face Tank isn’t coming true anytime soon.

Shakur Stevenson may have to step aside—Jake Paul is entering the ring

Just a few hours ago, Fight Hub TV caught up with Timothy Bradley Jr. in Las Vegas at the Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan weigh-in. According to “Desert Storm,” Tank knows exactly what he brings to the table. But after witnessing how mentally and physically tough Lamont Roach Jr. was in their March 1st fight, it became clear—there’s still work to be done. The fact that “The Reaper” put Tank on the canvas in the ninth round? That should be all the motivation he needs to come back stronger.

But there’s another reason for Tank to stay sharp. What is it? A potential showdown with none other than Jake Paul.  The 41-year-old believes The Problem Child could be next. But when the reporter brought up Shakur Stevenson’s name, But when the reporter mentioned Shakur Stevenson’s name, Bradley shifted gears, admitting it could be a great matchup as well. “Of course. I mean, look we love sports bro. We wanna see him against Shakur [Stevenson]. We want to see him against the best fighters out there,” he said.

However, Bradley wasn’t convinced those fights would happen anytime soon. Why? Because of how Tank looked in his last fight. “But obviously from what I see, in the way he’s moving, I don’t think those fights are gonna happen,” he added. So, if Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson isn’t happening, what’s next for the Newark native? Well, the Matchroom head might have an answer.

No Gervonta Davis? No problem

Fight Hub TV recently caught up with Eddie Hearn for an exclusive sit-down, and naturally, the conversation turned to Shakur Stevenson’s next move. “I want to talk to you a bit about Shakur. What’s next for him? Obviously we have Zepeda versus Farmer. Are you looking to put him in against the winner of that? And who do you think wins that fight?” the interviewer asked.

Hearn made his points clear. William Zepeda was originally mandated by the WBC to fight the Newark southpaw. But instead of taking that fight, Zepeda opted for a rematch with Tevin Farmer on 29th March. And while that decision may have raised some eyebrows, Hearn said he was fine with it. Why? Because as long as Zepeda gets through Farmer, he expects him to finally step up and face Stevenson.

If you remember, Stevenson and Zepeda were actually set to fight back in February. But that matchup fell apart when Zepeda injured his left arm. In the meantime, Stevenson prepared for a bout with Floyd Schofield, only for that fight to fall through as well. In the end, he ended up fighting Josh Padley on short notice.

So what’s next? According to Hearn, a fight with Zepeda is ‘the one that is supposed to be next.’ But at the same time, he left the door open for an even bigger showdown—Shakur vs. Gervonta “Tank” Davis. “We’ll go straight into a Tank fight if they want,” Hearn said. “Tank’s fighting, I think, on June 21st. We’re happy to wait till September for that fight,”  he added.

So now the big questions remain: Will Shakur Stevenson finally get his long-awaited fight with Zepeda? Could we actually see him face off against Tank later this year? And if Stevenson and Zepeda do end up fighting, who do you think takes the win? Do share your thoughts with us below.