Most boxers dream of working with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh—the mastermind behind Riyadh Season and a central force in boxing’s recent revival. As Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Alalshikh has been instrumental in orchestrating some of the sport’s biggest showdowns in recent years. From Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk to the highly anticipated clash between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, the Saudi royal has reignited a spark that many felt boxing had lost.

Yet, one name remains noticeably absent from Alalshikh’s star-studded roster—Gervonta Davis. Despite Alalshikh’s growing influence, the Baltimore native has steered clear of his orbit. However, Tank had addressed why he hadn’t joined boxing’s most powerful orchestrator, while also revealing the conditions that would need to be met for a showdown with WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, which could happen this year or the next.

According to an Instagram post from HandwrapTV, which had reshared what the WBA lightweight champion had said to Lil Yachty back in February, the 30-year-old explained that he took issue with how they approached him. “They came at me wrong the first time,” Gervonta Davis said, according to the post. “They told me I’d fight Devin [Haney], then said Devin was his guy.” This seems to have caused some concerns for the undefeated power puncher, who felt the odds were stacked against him.

“If Devin is your guy, you have to pay me right,” Davis explained what it would take for him to work with Alalshikh. “Coz I already know what I’m coming over there. [I’ve] got to get the knockout. If not, they’ll give it to him.” Since Devin Haney is no longer in lightweight, and Shakur Stevenson is working with Riyadh Season, and a fight between them is said to be inevitable, paying Davis “right” is the only way to make the Davis-Stevenson fight.

Regardless, Davis is slated to have his much-anticipated rematch against Lamont Roach Jr. on August 16, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, following their controversial draw on March 1st in New York. On the flipside, Stevenson will defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda on July 12, 2025, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Coming back to Davis and Alalshikh, this isn’t the first time Davis has commented on not working with the Saudi Royal.

Gervonta Davis continues his rebuke against His Excellency

After Riyadh Season’s blockbuster Beterbiev vs. Bivol II card in February, the Baltimore knockout artist made shocking accusations against the Saudi Advisor and even the fighters who have aligned with him. His main concern seemed to have been the growing influence of the Saudi Royal over the sport of boxing, which he conveyed during the same interview with Lil Yachty.

“They’ve been saying they’re getting messed up over there… it’s not just one fight. It’s numerous fights,” Tank had stated, hinting at biased scorecards and manipulation. Referring to one viral photo at the time, where boxers posed with Alalshikh, Davis claimed, “That looked like some devil s***, didn’t it? Facts, though. Devil s***, like they sold their souls.”

Having said that, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has to cough up a lot more money to convince Gervonta Davis to get into the ring with Shakur Stevenson. While Alalshikh doesn’t appear to be interested in the fight right now, if anyone can do it, it’s him. Do you think Gervonta Davis’ concerns are justified?