Report: Tank Davis Won't Return Until 2027

Gervonta Davis spent Friday calling out Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, and Floyd Mayweather on social media. By the end of the same day, a report emerged suggesting he will not fight any of them until 2027.

Al Haymon reportedly informed Bill Haney that Davis will not be ready for a ring return until early next year. The report effectively ends whatever momentum existed around a Davis-Haney superfight in 2026, a negotiation that had already collapsed publicly when Haney walked away after claiming Davis's side offered a 70-30 purse split.

The reasons behind the timeline extend beyond scheduling preference. Davis has not fought since a draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025 — a performance that raised questions on its own given the level of opponent. Since then, his situation outside the ring has deteriorated significantly.

Tank’s legal issues become complicated enough that the WBA moved to address it formally, rescinding their mandatory order for Davis to face Floyd Schofield Jr. and declaring him a Champion in Recess at lightweight, citing the possibility that his ongoing legal proceedings could prevent him from fulfilling his title obligations.

The Champion in Recess designation is the WBA's mechanism for preserving a fighter's nominal status while acknowledging that he cannot currently be expected to defend. It is not a stripping of the title, but it is a formal acknowledgment of the uncertainty surrounding him.

The Haney negotiation — which played out largely on social media over the past week — now looks like it was always theoretical. The back-and-forth served a purpose in keeping Davis' name in the conversation during an absence that now stretches well over a year.

What he returns to in early 2027, assuming the legal issues resolve and the timeline holds, depends on a great deal that is currently unresolved.