feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson might be working for his upcoming fight against rising prospect Floyd Schofield Jr. on February 22nd on the stacked card headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch. However, the fight he really wants, and the fight that will define his career is against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

The pair have been on a collision course for quite a while now, but a fight between them has been nearly impossible to put together. Frustrated, Stevenson is done asking—now, he is exposing the truth! What truth—you might be thinking? They might not have fought under the bright lights yet, but they have fought.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

You see, during the early years of their careers, the lightweight behemoths battled in sparring. While there isn’t any footage available for fans to dissect, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. According to a report from talkSport, ‘Tank’ boasted about cracking Stevenson during the last sparring session and had the Newark native legging it.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, he wasn’t alone in tooting his own horn—even Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis claimed that Stevenson left their camp early because Davis had chipped Stevenson’s tooth. Stevenson, unwilling to sully his good name or tooth, addressed the situation with talkSport. “He’s lying. He never in his life hurt me. I’ve got a hell of a chin,” he told talkSport.

article-image

Imago

Stevenson described what really happened during the sparring session, suggesting the session was great but, “The last spar we had he came up to me and said ‘Bro, you have got so much better. Bro, you are so good.’” To prove his side of the story is the real account of their encounter, he pointed at the way Davis treated him previously and the sudden change in character.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’m not lying. He’s a hell of a fighter, I have got nothing to take away from him,” he added. “But I’m a hell of a fighter myself and it was good work every time.” While the truth remains uncertain, it will only come to light if the sparring session clip is released. In the meantime, Davis is scheduled to face Lamont Roach Jr. in Brooklyn. 

And the question is, should both fighters come out unscathed could there be a fight between them this year? Steveson pointed at Turki Alalshikh, as a fight with Davis starting to look impossible, reaching its breaking point. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Shakur Stevenson says it’s on Gervonta Davis to make the fight

It’s no secret that ‘Sugar’ Stevenson has been advocating for a fight against Davis for the longest time. Now that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is in the picture, Stevenson is hoping the Saudi Royal can lure Davis into the ring. However, the Newark native blamed Davis for the lack of a fight between them already.

“He’s the big superstar, he’s the big name, the biggest pay-per-view superstar in the sport of boxing so with him being the biggest name and attraction it’s on him [to make it happen],” Stevenson told talkSport. “The ball is in his court. I can’t say ‘I’m going to send him an offer. Turki [Alalshikh] can,” Stevenson said almost giving up on the fight. 

ADVERTISEMENT

article-image

Getty

Stevenson concluded that he doesn’t know why the fight between them hasn’t happened yet, adding, “He is a weird human being. I don’t have much respect for him to be honest.”

ADVERTISEMENT

That said, Shakur Stevenson is not willing to stand for Gervonta Davis’ claims that he was dominated by the ‘Face of Boxing’ during a sparring session. The WBC lightweight champion appears frustrated and demoralized as he is holding on to the Saudis as a last resort to make the fight he wants so badly. Who do you think is telling the truth about their sparring session? Is Davis ducking Stevenson? 

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Sudeep Sinha

4,181 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of experience covering the science at the ES RingSide Desk. Known for sharp fight-night coverage and detailed analysis, Sudeep has become one of the desk’s leading boxing minds. His work has been featured on major platforms such as Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, where he covers everything from amateur boxing developments to high-profile controversies like Ryan Garcia career arc. Sudeep balances his professional writing career with a personal passion for reading, cycling, and lively debates about boxing match-ups and trends on social media. He takes pride in delivering engaging stories that resonate with both hardcore boxing enthusiasts and casual fans alike, providing clear insights into fighter strategies, training, and the evolving dynamics of the sport.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Gokul Pillai

ADVERTISEMENT