A lightweight bout between Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko could be one of the great matchups the sport has to offer.
But you may as well shut it out of your mind considering that Davis recently poured a bucket of icy cold water over the potential mega bout.
Davis made his feelings clear during a post-fight press conference on Saturday night after he knocked out Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 12th round at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. He cited his ability to draw better at the gate and relative youth as reasons the fight isn’t a priority.
“I feel like no one is above me,” Davis responded when asked if he would pursue a fight with Lomachenko. “I’m the cash cow, I believe so, at 135, 130. I’m selling out [arenas] and putting butts in the seat, so. I don’t think he’s doing that. Line ’em up. I’m a fighter, willing to fight anybody.”
It was a disappointing and evasive response that seemed to reinforce the sport’s political division. Lomachenko is a flagship fighter under Top Rank, while Davis is aligned with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions. Both entities have their own exclusive output deals, which makes cross-promotional fights that much harder to consummate.
No one is disputing that Davis is a budding star. The Baltimore native drew a reported 14,000 to the fight in Atlanta, a city deprived of significant boxing cards in recent years. He is clearly resonating with African-Americans, which apparently includes a number of noted denizens from the Hip Hop world. But Davis has yet to headline his own pay-per-view card. ( Leonard Ellerbe told reporters that they would seek to put Davis on that platform in 2020, presumably against Leo Santa Cruz). And while drawing upwards of 10,000 spectators to an arena is commendable these days, it is hardly jaw-dropping.
Davis continued: “I’m not trying to be cocky, but (fighters want to fight me because) it’s a big risk, but it’s also a big payday. (Lomachenko is) at the end of his career, I believe so. Well, he’s up in age, and he’s trying to make the biggest fights that he can make in a short period of time. Everybody has their different path. I’m only 25 year old. My stretch is a little longer than his, so we’re taking our time.”
The comments were in stark contrast to what Davis told TMZ this past summer when confronted with the same question. Would he welcome a fight with Lomachenko?
“I think I’m old enough to take on the challenge,” Davis said. “I have enough skills. I’m maturing as a fighter as a person. I think it’s time.
“… [Lomachenko-Davis is] probably one of the biggest fights. Me and [Lomachenko] or Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, those are the two biggest fights we can make in boxing.”