Lomachenko Will Step Aside To Allow Tank vs. Shakur Next
Vasiliy Lomachenko is willing to step aside to allow Shakur Stevenson to face Gervonta Davis.
That is according to Tank’s co-trainer, Kenny Ellis. Following Davis’ win over Frank Martin to defend his WBA Lightweight Title, all eyes turned to Tank’s next steps. The two leading names put forward for his opponent were Shakur and Loma. Initial reports indicated that Loma was the front-runner. Bob Arum revealed that talks had already begun, expressing his feeling that a deal would get made.
Meanwhile, Ellis was on record saying he had begun studying Loma. The perception around both fights is that Loma is now at the tail end of his career, giving Davis an advantage. Despite the Ukrainian winning the IBF vacant title at 135 in his last fight against George Kambosos Jr., Loma is not the same fighter. The 36-year-old has losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney, unlike the fighter who was dominating the sport a few years ago.
Lomachenko’s Move
Shakur is seen as Davis’ biggest threat at 135. However, his recent wins over Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan have received criticism. Shakur’s fighting style does not resonate with fans due to his defensive style and his lack of taking risks. However, given that Shakur and Loma are the biggest names at 135, he is likely to fight them both. Now, Shakur could be the next name on the list.
“Breaking news: Lomachenko said he will step aside and let Gervonta Davis fight Shakur Stevenson this fall, and he’ll fight the winner in early 2025,” Kenny Ellis said
Davis needs the biggest fights following the current situation with PBC. The promotional outfit faces more competition than ever due to the introduction of the Saudis into boxing. They are putting on the biggest fights, giving fans more choice over what to do. Riyadh Season is coming to the United States as Terence Crawford will box Israil Madrimov on August 3. Davis has already turned down an invitation from the Saudis when they indicated their wish to make the Devin Haney fight.
Shakur’s Aim
Davis demanded two Ferraris delivered to his door before he would even consider talks. However, following his fight with Ryan Garcia, which sold over 1.2 million PPVs, it is clear that Davis needs the right dancing partner. The Martin fight sold between 100,000 PPVs and 350,000 buys, depending on the figures you endorse. Now that the Ryan Garcia rematch is off the table due to King Ry’s one-year ban after testing positive for Ostarine, Davis must look elsewhere. Following Artem’s win, Davis is the man Shakur wants.
“I have the best seat in the house. We all know that me and Tank is going to be the biggest fight in years to come. Everybody and any promoter will want to be involved when that happens. I just sit back and chill and try not to think about it. I’ll think about it when it happens. Every hood in America is going to want to watch that fight. That’s the game plan for me and the end goal. That’s the fight that I am going to kick the door down with. Honestly, that’s the direction I want to go in,” Stevenson stated
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