Shakur Stevenson says Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’s management contacted his side for a fight next, but he hasn’t heard anything back since asking them to send a contract. Tank’s silence is a pretty clear message of disinterest.
The WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) says he’s open to fighting a unification fight against Tank Davis in November if the terms can be agreed to the fight.
Tank still doesn’t have an opponent for his next fight after his hoped-for fight against IBF champion Vasily Lomachenko fell out. Shakur would be a good plan B option for Tank, but the chances of that fight happening are slim.
Shakur’s Negotiating Stance
Stevenson could be difficult to negotiate with because he views himself on the same level as Tank Davis, and that’s not where he is. With Stevenson’s high opinion of himself, he could make negotiating a fight with the superstar Tank impossible.
He would humble himself to get that match negotiated, and he’s not likely to do that. There’s too much pride there, and he seems to feel that his past achievements, capturing three division world titles and winning a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics, mean something. It doesn’t. That’s all empty fluff when negotiating a fight with the ‘Face of Boxing’ Tank Davis, and it would be better for Shakur to realize that sooner rather than later.
Shakur’s popularity is still lagging, and he’s got to raise it by changing his safety-first style of fighting to what 21st-century fans want to see.
The New Jersey native Shakur is behind the times with his boring, retro Mayweather-esque style, which could prevent him from getting the fights he wants against Tank Davis and Vasily Lomachenko.
Tank Davis’ Silence: What This Means
“I guess they wanted to make the fight, and we said, ‘Send the offer,’” Shakur Stevenson told Boxing News about Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis wanting to fight him. “We haven’t heard anything back yet, but that fight is going to happen.”
The silence from Tank Davis’ side is a strong message to Shakur that he’s no longer interested in fighting him and is focusing on another target. I can’t say I blame Tank Davis because a fight between him and Shakur won’t sell now.
The 27-year-old Stevenson’s last two performances against Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santors were abysmal. We saw how Shakur’s fans quickly departed his last fight against Harutyunyan well before the contest was over last July, and the event wasn’t close to a sellout.
“Me and him are the best fighters coming up, the best fighters in the 135-lb division. There’s no way the fight is not going to happen,” Shakur continued about Tank Davis clash that he wants.
Fans don’t consider Shakur one of the two best fighters in the division. They still see Lomachenko and Tank as the best two. Shakur is seen as a defensive guy who hasn’t fought anyone since moving up to 135 and looked terrible against De Los Santos last year.
Fans are more interested in Abdullah Mason as a fighter coming up than in Shakur, who is known more for his social media and self-promotion activity than his performances. Stevenson is excellent at promoting himself, but his fights are always disappointing and don’t entertain fans.
“I know fans are going to scream to say all these things about this guy is ducking,” said Shakur. “I’m not scared to fight him, and he’s not scared to fight me. It’s going to be a hell of a fight when the fight happens.”
Shakur is partly right when he says a fight between him will be a “hell of a fight,” but in a different way. The promotion will be good, but the actual fight could be very boring, involving a lot of movement by Stevenson because he can’t stand and fight Tank Davis without getting blown out.
“Yeah, if the terms can be agreed and it makes sense for him and me business-wise, the fight can definitely happen,” said Shakur when asked if he can Tank Davis could potentially fight on November 23rd.
Again, I see Shakur shooting himself in the foot when negotiating the fight with Tank Davis by pricing himself out, believing he’s on the same level as him.
The Need for Humility
Shakur thinks that because he holds the WBC title, he’s on equal footing with Tank, and that’s not reality.
Stevenson might as well be a contender because, popularity-wise, he’s not in the same galaxy as the superstar Tank Davis, and that’s going to ultimately prevent a fight between them from happening. Stevenson needs to understand his place, humble himself, and come to Tank with the understanding that he’s dealing with royalty, the king.
“I thought he looked real good against Frank Martin. It was too high of a level for Frank Martin,” said Stevenson when asked about his thoughts on Tank Davis’ recent performance against Frank Martin. “I thought Tank raised the level up, and Frank wasn’t able to compete at that level.
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