Ellerbe Expects Davis’ Next Fight Soon – Frank Martin Is The Front Runner
Leonard Ellerbe says Gervonta Davis’ next fight will become apparent soon.
Davis is preparing to have his first fight since he beat Ryan Garcia last year, a fight which sold over 1.2 million PPVs. That has set the benchmark for the type of paydays he wants. Only a few fights out there could do generate that hype. A Devin Haney or Shakur Stevenson bout could be one of those. So far, they have yet to be made.
Ellerbe recently confirmed there are too many obstacles in the way of making that fight. Haney fights at 140 pounds, while Davis is at 135. Tank is unlikely to move up, and even if we were to go up, it would likely be with a rehydration clause against Haney.
The Dream has ruled that out. Davis also sees himself as the A-side, which is understandable since Haney’s bout with Regis Prograis reportedly sold 50,000 PPVs. A Shakur Stevenson fight is no longer possible after he announced his retirement from the sport.
Davis’ Next Fight
Stevenson made the announcement after the WBO decided to order Emanuel Navarrete vs. Denys Berinchyk for the vacant belt at 135. Since Shakur had been chasing that fight, he could no longer unify. With Shakur struggling to get the big fights, he is no longer in the picture.
The other big fighter in the division is Vasiliy Lomachenko. The Ukrainian, however, is currently scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound belt on May 12, ruling that fight out. There is no guarantee that Loma will win since the Haney loss has left question marks over his mental state, given the controversial nature of his loss. But Ellerbe expects an announcement soon.
“Tank is going to decide who he’s fighting and when he decides that he’ll make an announcement. Tank’s the boss, and he’ll be fighting soon.. The deal that we gave Ryan?! Stop it. First off, they’re in two different weight classes…at the end of the day, if Tank had to Tank can make ‘30.
“He’s comfortable at ‘35. Nobody’s going to tell Tank what weight class he’s going to, what he’s doing — f**k all that. That’s never going to happen. Tank’s going to fight where he’s comfortable at and do what he wants to do,” Ellerbe stated
Davis Vs. Martin
The name currently being mentioned is Frank Martin. Martin is also with PBC, making it an easier fight to get made. The lightweight rejected the chance to face Shakur Stevenson when the WBC belt was vacant. Terms had been agreed, but Shakur claimed Martin pulled out as he could not get a 50-50 split. However, facing Davis allows him to win the WBA Lightweight Belt. But Ellerbe backed Davis to beat whoever was next.
“Frank Martin can’t beat ‘Tank’ Davis. None of them guys can beat ‘Tank’ Davis. So I wouldn’t use that word ‘live dog.’ Frank’s a good a** fighter, but he can’t beat Tank though,” Ellerbe added
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