Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson lightweight negotiations

Negotiation hurdles and financial realities

Josh Dubin says the Shakur Stevenson fight against Gervonta Davis remains a phone call away. Stevenson remains ready to negotiate the lightweight unification bout. While Stevenson’s manager Josh Dubin maintains that his client remains ready to negotiate, the financial viability of a deal with Premier Boxing Promotions remains the primary obstacle for the current free agent following his departure from Top Rank. Stevenson produced the highest-rated ESPN card of July 6 against Artem Harutyunyan. He operates as a free agent following that unanimous-decision win. Stevenson wants to unify the 135-pound division. His team previously requested a unification against Denys Berinchyk, but Top Rank demanded a long-term contract. Lomachenko previously told representatives he prefers to stand down and return to fighting in the first quarter of 2025. Dubin claims Lomachenko knows the outcome of a Davis fight and walked away. Stevenson’s team also considered a bout with William Zepeda, but Oscar De La Hoya refuses to let Zepeda fight Stevenson unless the Newark fighter signs with Golden Boy Promotions. Stevenson’s co-manager James Prince and Dubin keep their phone lines open for a call. They expect Premier Boxing Promotions to "come correct" regarding the money. You already know the basic records, so look at the specific numbers behind the hype.

Debunking the resume myths

Critics claim Davis only faces limited opposition to build his 30-0 record. I find this assessment ignores the reality of his power. Davis holds 28 knockouts and has stopped 11 opponents who had never suffered a knockout loss before meeting him. He also defeated 19 opponents who carried undefeated records into their bouts with him. In October 2020, Davis knocked out Leo Santa Cruz in the sixth round. He finished Yuriorkis Gamboa with a 12th-round uppercut in 2019. Davis showed high-level skill during his sixth-round stoppage of Frank Martin on June 15. His fight with Ryan Garcia last year generated over 1.2 million pay-per-view buys. Davis secured the IBF title in 2017 by stopping Jose Pedraza in seven rounds. He later replaced Jezreel Corrales as the WBA champion after stopping Jesus Cuellar in three rounds. He defended titles against Hugo Ruiz and Ricardo Nunez. Davis looked disinterested and not much like a star against Francisco Fonseca in 2017. While his fight with Isaac Cruz went to a decision, Davis still ranks among the highest knockout percentages in boxing. He stopped 18 of his 23 opponents before the sixth round. Only three of his 26 opponents had knockout percentages over 70%. Davis faced weight issues at junior lightweight for over a year before moving to 135 pounds.

The lightweight landscape

The lightweight division presents a complex hierarchy for the 29-year-old champion. Davis moved to 135 pounds after vacating his WBA junior lightweight title. He currently holds the number one ranking from the WBA. Lomachenko holds the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles at this weight. Gamboa holds the number two ranking. The 27-year-old 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, Shakur Stevenson, recently defeated Shuichiro Yoshino in his lightweight debut. Stevenson has 23 wins and 11 knockouts. He rejected a proposal from Terence Crawford to feature the Davis fight on an undercard. He believes the match against Davis represents the biggest fight in the sport.

Will the financial terms satisfy the Stevenson camp enough to finalize the call?