By: Sean Crose
“I understand it. It’s a lame ass game, dog” Shakur Stevenson recently said to IFL TV. “Boxing has turned very lame. There’s a lot of politics and… sometimes it’s who you know.” Stevenson said this, not in defense of himself, but in defense of the popular, undefeated and explosive Gervonta “Tank” Davis, a man who claims he’s going to retire from the sport at the end of 2025. The slick and also undefeated Stevenson, however, hopes to score a much anticipated bout for lightweight supremacy with Baltimore’s Davis before Davis calls it quits.
It would make an interesting pairing to be sure, a classic clash of slickness and power. Stevenson has one of the premier skill sets in the business while Davis is a destructive knockout machine. And while there’s more to the two men than that – Davis is lightning fast, for instance – it all makes for am intriguing match between two of the best in the sport right now. Yet Stevenson has a problem. Unlike Davis, the Newark native isn’t always exciting. In fact, Stevenson has been accused of putting on some less than entertaining performances. That means Davis could be calling the shots in negotiations. It could also mean David isn’t particularly eager to face a high risk-low reward opponent like Stevenson at all.
That isn’t to say Davis isn’t up for a challenge. It’s worth remembering that Vasyl Lomachenko arguably stepped away from a fight with Davis, not the other way around. No one, though, would accuse Lomachenko of being boring. The same can’t be said for Stevenson, who – again – has taken his share of criticism. Losing to Lomachenko in a high octane throwdown is one thing. Losing a dull affair to Stevenson is another. Still, Stevenson is a very talented and practiced athlete. If Davis wants to avoid being accused of ducking a formidable challenge, he may want to meet Stevenson in the ring.
The truth is that fights the fans want to see usually come to pass sooner or later. And, whether they want to admit it or not, most fans would rather see Davis and Stevenson fight than have the bout never go down at all. If there’s one thing the boxing world can’t abide by it’s unfinished Stevenson may get his wish after all. One has to be careful what one wishes for, however. That goes for anyone who steps inside the ring.
Stevenson will next be on action on February 22nd when he takes on Paul Schofield.