As much as one would have wished they were together, given everything that has happened, it remains a bleak prospect that Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather Jr., once boxing’s finest mentor-mentee example, will ever come together. The pair who went separate ways three years ago, found their relationship turned sour and eventually acrimonious, with instances of online feuds erupting in between.

As he approaches the much-anticipated showdown with Lamont Roach Jr., Davis finds himself bombarded with questions related to the Mayweather equation. Just a few days ago, speaking with Jay Hill, Davis alleged that Mayweather Jr. planned for him to lose the first title fight, the 2017 bout against Jose Pedraza. At the final presser of the PBC-Amazon fight card, Davis opened a Pandora’s box, which may have caused a few raised eyebrows.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Nobody else, just me!

In a jolly mood, Gervonta Davis spoke about his former opponent and stablemate Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, but just then, a reporter reminded him of what he told Jay Hill during their interview. The WBA lightweight champion claimed that Floyd Mayweather Jr. forced him to fight Jose Pedraza, supposedly with the intention that he would lose the title challenge.

“Did he (Mayweather) really think Pedraza was going to beat you?” asked the reporter. “He didn’t know how good I was or how I would like handle the situation, so he just threw me out there,” replied ‘Tank’ Davis, adding further, “First of all, Floyd don’t never want to see no one like a fighter do better than him.”

To make a case, he questioned why the unbeaten former world champion could make ridiculous propositions like Terence Crawford should take on David Benavidez. “Why the f**k would you say Terence Crawford should fight Benavidez? That don’t make no f**king sense!” he stated.

Crawford vs. Benavidez: Madness or Masterstroke?

For the context, we may have to travel back a year ago. During an interview, Floyd Mayweather Jr. shocked FightHype’s Ben Thompson. He said, “If we want to go to 168 and he (Crawford) wants to fight Canelo bad and Benavidez wants to fight Canelo bad, they can’t get Canelo; they can fight each other – Benavidez and Crawford.”

Needless to say, the idea received an instant backlash. “Floyd just hates on Crawford and wants him to get stomped by a heavyweight,” said one of the users. By ‘heavyweight,’ they probably meant Benavidez, only that he fights in the light heavyweight division following his departure from the 168 lbs division.

But a few felt the argument made a compelling case. Perhaps Mayweather Jr.’s suggestion wasn’t meant to sabotage Crawford at all. It was rather a realistic alternative. If Crawford can move up to 168 pounds and fight Canelo Alvarez, then why not fight another super-middleweight (Benavidez) first? As much as there’s logic in it, to many, the suggestions sound quite preposterous. The sheer size and weight difference between Crawford and Benavidez stands out starkly in contrast to the matchup with Canelo, where there’s an apparent similarity.

It is disheartening to see two of boxing’s modern greats part ways amid animosity. Yet, with time, they may come to realize that both Mayweather Jr. and Davis have left an indelible mark on the sport. Much like Mayweather in the previous decade, ‘Tank’ Davis continues to carry the torch for boxing in the third decade of the century.

What about you? Do you think Mayweather Jr.’s idea of a Crawford-Benavidez matchup sounds good?