It’s been a hot minute since the potential Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. rematch got pushed back to August, and crickets are still chirping about when—or if—it’ll actually go down. Meanwhile, ‘Tank’ is tiptoeing toward blowing a golden ticket, and Roach Jr. might just snatch it right out from under him. But you must be wondering—what’s this opportunity? 

You see, the thing is, the WBA lightweight champion is the biggest name in the lightweight division, which means everyone wants a slice of that cake. But if he’s not willing to serve it up, they’re not just going to sit back and wait for him to eventually hand it over, especially when ‘Tank’s already talking about retiring after 2025. Take Shakur Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champion. He’s been calling for a showdown with Davis for years, but guess what? He’s officially done waiting around for ‘Tank’ to finally step up. With Roach Jr. nearly pulling off the upset against Davis earlier this year, Stevenson looks like he’s ready to shift gears and target a massive showdown with Roach Jr. instead.

While appearing on The Breakfast Club podcast, Stevenson made his intentions clear. “At the end of the day, the movement doesn’t revolve around him,” Stevenson said. “So whatever he got going on, he got going on. If he says he don’t want to fight me, he retires without fighting me. That’s cool. That’s on his legacy. He got to live with that.”

Stevenson suggested that he is ready to move on to the next best option. “But truthfully, for me, I fight the next available opponents,” he told the host. “I [will] fight Lamont Roach. Maybe running back with an Edwin De Los Santos or something. Honestly, I just stay focused, and I think my time will come.”

It’s worth noting that after the controversial fight between Davis and Roach Jr. came to a split decision draw, Stevenson offered to fight Roach Jr. in case Davis didn’t give him a rematch. And for his part, Roach gracefully accepted the offer. With the rematch delayed to July or August, a fight between Roach Jr. and Stevenson could be possible. However, Stevenson has a challenge of his own lined up this July. 

Stevenson is expected to face off against interim title holder William Zepeda on July 12th in New York City. Regardless, some reports suggest Davis already has a plan to face someone else. 

Eddie Hearn leaks Gervonta Davis vs. Jake Paul plans

Eddie Hearn may have unintentionally confirmed one of boxing’s most shocking potential matchups—Gervonta Davis vs. Jake Paul in November. Speaking at the Chris Eubank vs. Conor Benn press conference, Hearn remarked, “We know that Gervonta [Davis] is going to fight Jake Paul in November. Then, we’ll see what happens.”

The comment comes ahead of Paul’s June 28 showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a critical test for the YouTuber-turned-boxer. Davis, meanwhile, must first get past Lamont Roach in a rescheduled bout after their controversial draw in March. Despite public trash talk, Jake Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian noted the commercial appeal. 

“Gervonta Davis, other than Jake Paul, is the only American pay-per-view box office star.”

That said, it’s unclear when or if Gervonta Davis will fight Lamont Roach Jr. in a rematch. However, it’s clear that if he doesn’t, Shakur Stevenson is open to fighting Roach Jr. instead. Do you think that will be a good matchup?