Antonio Tarver picks Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson winner after the latter’s win against William Zepeda.

Shakur Stevenson called out Gervonta Davis following his win against William Zepeda on July 12. Stevenson proved he is just as good as he claims to be, putting on an absolute masterclass against Zepeda.

Zepeda, being the pressure fighter that he is, tried to put Stevenson in the corner and hurt him, but the WBC lightweight champion showcased his exceptional defensive work, as always. He also revealed a new wrinkle to his game with his attacks, landing multi-punch combinations on Zepeda at times.

After the win against Zepeda, Stevenson doesn’t have much competition left at 135 lbs. While Floyd Schofield could be a good opponent, the fight that actually makes the most sense is certainly against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.

Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is currently entangled with the law and was taken into custody on charges of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend. He has since been released, but more details of the case are yet to emerge.

That said, if ‘Tank’ and Stevenson actually end up fighting, it would be a dream match-up from a boxing point of view. Davis is known for his knockout prowess, while Stevenson (24-0-0, 11 KOs) showed he can fight any style inside the ring.

Former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver has now given his prediction on how the fight could potentially play out. Speaking to Boxing Social, he said:

It’s hard not to lean to the Olympian, the silver medalist [Stevenson] that has the amateur pedigree. The man can process a fight like nobody’s business. He made two or three different changes in the game to give himself a better chance of winning.

Tarver was thoroughly impressed by Stevenson’s work on the ropes and also how he performed in the middle of the ring. Tarver added, “The man has a deep bag, deep bag of tricks.”

The William Zepeda fight was also a big boost for Shakur Stevenson in terms of fan perception. He has often been accused of being too defensive in fights and running from his opponents. Stevenson showed that it takes two to tango and a fighter like Zepeda brought the best version of him out.

Shakur Stevenson offers a scathing take on Gervonta Davis.

Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson is a fight that boxing fans across the globe would love to see. It’s a stellar stylistic matchup between two of the top lightweights in the world. Stevenson is the WBC champion of the division, while Davis holds the WBA title.

Stylistically, it’s a purist’s dream fight. Davis is 30-0-1 with 28 knockouts and always seems to find a way to put his opponents down. Stevenson, meanwhile, is often seen as the modern day Floyd Mayweather due to his masterful defense.

Eddie Hearn speaks on Shakur Stevenson’s stance about fighting Gervonta Davis.

Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis are two of the biggest names in the lightweight division. Stevenson is the WBC champion while Davis holds the WBA title, and a showdown between the pair is one that fans have been craving for.

Stevenson has also been campaigning for the fight for a while. He’s set to face William Zepeda next month on July 12, while Davis has a rematch against Lamont Roach lined up for August 16.

Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn, Stevenson’s promoter, has now opened up on the potential contest. He claims it’s up to Gervonta Davis and Al Haymon to decide whether ‘Tank’ fights Shakur Stevenson or not. In a recent interview ahead of the Richardson Hitchins vs George Kambosos Jr fight, Hearn said:

I don’t know what Haymon’s gonna want to do with ‘Tank’. He’s got the fight with Roach coming up, that’s a tough fight. But after that, who’s there for him to fight?

Hearn continued:

It’s the same with Shakur. When Shakur beats Zepeda, he could attempt to unify, you got Abdullah Mason, Sam Noakes. You got Andy Cruz, touch wood he wins tonight, he’s gonna fight Muratalla for the IBF world title. So, there’s those unification fights for Shakur. But the fight really Shakur vs ‘Tank’. It’s a case of whether ‘Tank’ and his team are willing to accept that.

When asked what’s the hold up in making the fight happen, Hearn said:

To be honest with you, Shakur is unbelievably humble about that fight. Where he goes, I’m the b-side, I am getting less money, I understand. It’s just whether ‘Tank’ or Haymon wants to give him that fight.

Stylistically, Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson promises to be a spectacle. ‘Tank’ is one of the best knockout artists in boxing whereas Stevenson is a defensive craftsman. Whether they eventually fight remains to be seen.

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has made a surprising U-turn regarding his stance on fellow lightweight champion Gervonta Davis’ retirement plans. Last December, the WBA lightweight champion stunned the boxing world by revealing his intention to retire after 2025. He cited politics within the sport as a major factor behind his decision.

He also suggested that he want to stay out of the way and make money. Currently, ‘Tank’ is scheduled to lock horns with WBA super featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1st in Brooklyn, New York. And if Davis follows up on his plans to call it quits, a fight against Stevenson has a lot less time to be made.

Stevenson, meanwhile, has been calling for a fight against Davis for over a year. It’s a pursuit that has transformed their previously friendly relationship into one marked by rivalry and contention. The WBC lightweight champion is also gearing up for a showdown with rising star Floyd Schofield Jr. on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ahead of his upcoming fight, Stevenson shared his thoughts on Davis’ retirement plans during an interview with iFL TV. When asked if he could relate to Davis’ decision to step away from the sport, Stevenson responded candidly, “I get it, I understand it. It’s a lame a** game, boxing has turned very lame.”

“There’s a lot of politics and it is not about how good you are as a boxer. Sometimes it’s who you know,” he added. However, this statement seems different from what Stevenson said in another interview a couple of weeks ago.

Shakur Stevenson brands Gervonta Davis soft for retirement talks

Shakur Stevenson has criticized Gervonta Davis’ retirement talk, calling it “soft” and expressing his disagreement with the decision. Speaking to Fight Hub TV during The Ring Awards ceremony in London, Stevenson said, “If he wants to retire with the career that he got, then go ahead and do whatever you got to do. I disagree with it. I think it’s soft, but that’s on him.”

Stevenson made it clear he’s not interested in chasing Davis. “I ain’t gonna lie. I ain’t into chasing people around. If he’s willing to fight, I’m ready to fight. I think it should happen, but I can’t sit there and chase you, and then he’s going to try to make it seem like I need him. I don’t need him.”

If Davis retires without fighting Stevenson, the boxing world will miss out on one of the biggest, if not the biggest, lightweight battles in recent decades.

That said, it appears Shakur Stevenson has grown tired of chasing Gervonta Davis for a fight. By the looks of things, their potential fight seems like a distant dream, which may never become real. But what do you think? Do you think the fight will happen? What do you think about Stevenson’s changed opinion?