WBA Names Davis Champion In Recess

Gervonta Davis' path back to the championship has been closed — at least for now.

The WBA has formally designated Davis as Champion in Recess, a ruling that opens the door for a fight to crown a new lightweight titleholder. Davis has not fought since his controversial majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025, and the period since has been defined by legal troubles rather than ring preparation.

Davis had begun making moves toward a return, dropping longtime trainer Calvin Ford and linking up with Jose Benavidez Sr. in what appeared to be a genuine attempt to rebuild his camp around a comeback. The mandatory challenge from Floyd Schofield was the most logical next fight, a bout that had been negotiated toward before the WBA deadline passed without resolution earlier this year.

The Champion in Recess designation changes the landscape entirely. Rather than waiting for Davis to sort out his situation and fulfil his mandatory obligation, the WBA is moving forward. The most likely outcome is Schofield meeting the number two ranked 135-pound contender Lucas Bahdi for the vacant title — a fight that gives Schofield the world championship opportunity he has been positioned for without the delays that the Davis situation kept imposing.

Davis can theoretically return and be reinstated if his legal situation resolves and the WBA is satisfied — the governing body has done exactly that for other fighters in similar circumstances. But the window for the specific fight his mandatory position entitled him to has now closed, and whatever comeback he eventually stages will need to rebuild from a different starting point.