Boxing is a great sport to gamble on and it’s even better when the must-see dream fights finally take place. One of the bouts we’d love to see is Shakur Stevenson taking on Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Could it happen this year?
As with most fights, we all want to see, there are plenty of negotiations and hurdles that have to be overcome. How long did it take to confirm Usyk v Fury? we’ve had such a long wait to see Canelo v Crawford. Both Sevenson and Davis have fights on the horizon. Just as when we were longing to see Joshua v Wilder (yet to happen), just one upset can ruin all the plans that are being formed.
Shakur Stevenson hails from New Jersey, and three of his last four fights took place in that state. Not his next contest, though, as he takes on Floyd Schofield in Saudi Arabia on February 22. It’s a fight he cannot afford to lose.
A week later, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is in action in New York. He defends his WBA ‘Super’ Lightweight belt against WBA Super Featherweight champion Lamont Roach. Wins for both Stevenson and Davis will only intensify the calls for the pair to meet in the ring.
Stevenson holds the WBC Lightweight title and a unification bout with Davis is a mouthwatering prospect. He’s now a member of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing team and his upcoming fight is his first since departing Top Rank.
He returns to the ring after a break of seven months. A scheduled fight with Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia had to be postponed but a hand injury ruled Stevenson out of that title defence. When signing with Matchroom, he said: “I’ve made it clear that I want the biggest names and the biggest fights in the sport.” That obviously means he has a showdown with Davis in his future plans. New York online sportsbooks with bonus bet deals have Stevenson at -1100 to beat his challenger.
If he can get past Schofield on February 22 then it’s unlikely Davis will be his next opponent. He has a mandatory title defence against William Zepeda to deal with first. They were also due to meet but on that occasion it was the Mexican who was injured.
A fight with Davis looks likely to have to take place in the second half of 2025. Davis has indicated that he wants to retire at the end of this year. Mind you, if gamblers placed bets on boxers staying retired they’d be making plenty of losses.
If Stevenson v Davis does take place, it will be a fascinating fight. Stevenson has great defensive skills and they will be needed against a knockout king like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis who has won all of his 30 professional fights with just two going the distance.
Davis is on offer at -1800 to win with his challenger Lamont Roach at +920. New York’s online sportsbooks, therefore, believe it will be the champion who wins at the Brooklyn Center on March 1. Boxing is a sport that regularly sees upsets, though, as anyone who gambles on the sport will fully know.
Roach has to step up in weight for this title challenge. That’s never an easy task and even more difficult when taking on a big puncher like Davis. The champion has been in close fights in the past. Just as in the glory days of Deontay Wilder, he can use his punching power to turn a fight around.
If both Davis and Stevenson win their latest fights, where might a possible unification title fight take place? Saudi Arabia is staging the biggest bouts these days, and millions of dollars are being earned. However, Davis has been rather vocal about boxers who have taken the big paydays and headed to Saudi Arabia.
Will he change his mind when the Saudis try to lure him to their country for a massive payday against Stevenson? Only time will tell, but there is one thing for sure. When they do meet, gamblers are going to flock to their online sportsbooks to place bets on the fight.
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