Shakur Stevenson is already predicting victory over Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis for a hoped-for unification struggle in 2025. Though there are not any ensures {that a} match with WBA light-weight champion Tank Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) will occur subsequent 12 months, WBC champ Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) believes it should, and he has no doubts that he’ll be victorious.
Stevenson nonetheless must defeat his #1 challenger, William Zepeda, on February twenty second, and that’s a struggle he may lose or look dangerous in profitable.
Shakur Ensures Victory
If Shakur places in one other efficiency as he did in his final two matches in opposition to Artem Hartutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos, his probabilities of getting a struggle in opposition to Tank will go down the drain. Tank received’t need to be concerned in a struggle in opposition to an opponent who refuses to interact and who will probably be on the run for 12 rounds.
Earlier than a unification struggle between these two can doubtlessly occur, Shakur should lose loads of weight earlier than his title protection in opposition to Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) on February twenty second. Shakur appears to be like like just a little butterball, having ballooned up in dimension from good consuming since his final struggle on July sixth. That weight goes to have to come back off earlier than he can struggle Zepeda.
If Shakur makes his coaching camp a fats farm for the Zepeda struggle, his probabilities of profitable will plummet as a result of this isn’t the kind of gentle hitter that he’d been combating in most of his fights within the professional ranks.
“Subsequent 12 months will probably be excellent. The struggle has bought to occur,” mentioned Shakur Stevenson to Boxing Information when requested about his curiosity in combating Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in 2025. “There’s no method the struggle don’t occur. One of the best vs. the most effective. I can’t watch for it.”
Subsequent 12 months could be excellent if Shakur beats Zepeda and appears good doing it. However the probabilities of each issues occurring are slim as a result of he’s uncomfortable taking energy photographs from lightweights. Shakur stood within the pocket in opposition to Artem Harutyunyan final July, however solely as a result of he was lined up with a weak puncher in his farewell struggle with Prime Rank.
Some followers imagine Prime Rank made this transfer to attempt to keep on Shakur’s good facet so he may lengthen his contract with them. If that was the concept, it didn’t work, and they might have been higher off making Shakur’s remaining struggle a rematch with De Los Santos in a small 16-foot ring, the place he could be pressured to battle him within the trenches.
“I’m going to win for positive,” mentioned Shakur when requested what occurs in a struggle between him and Tank Davis. “I feel lots of people will wager the opposite method and lose cash, however the those that wager this fashion are going to lose cash.”
Shakur’s solely path to victory in opposition to Tank Davis could be to struggle him precisely as he did Edwin De Los Santos, hitting, transferring, and holding all evening. He can’t beat a fighter like Tank by the standard methodology as a result of the probabilities of taking a knockout hit could be too excessive.
“I don’t bought no beef with these guys,” mentioned Shakur about whether or not he has any private points with Tank. “Hopefully, these guys reside their greatest life and doing every thing they’re alleged to be doing exterior of the ring, however we bought to squabble.
“It’s getting higher. I must be 100% by both the tip of this month or subsequent month,” mentioned Shakur concerning the replace on his surgically repaired proper hand.
If Shakur’s drawback proper hand or his left continues to provide him points, he’s going to need to both struggle with the damage in opposition to William Zepeda or transfer again all the way down to 130 or 126 the place there’s much less want for energy on his delicate limbs.
