Gervonta Davis next fight: After Ryan Garcia KO, Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko winner should await Tank

Tom Gray

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Gervonta Davis next fight: After Ryan Garcia KO, Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko winner should await Tank image

As Ryan Garcia listened to the 10-count being bellowed in his ear by referee Thomas Taylor, all the stricken Californian could wish for was more time. He would have his breath back in 15 seconds, just not 10… please not 10.

Unfortunately, 10 is high as a referee ever counts, and Gervonta Davis had won the biggest fight of the year, courtesy of a terrific left hook counter shot to the mid-section in Round 7. The crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas roared in approval and “Tank” took his bows.

MORE: Round-by-round breakdown of Tank vs. Garcia

But while the Baltimore star had secured a career-best victory, and a career-high payday, there were no new belts forthcoming. The Davis vs. Garcia matchup took place at a contractually agreed upon catchweight of 136 pounds.

There was plenty at stake in this fight — unbeaten records, bragging rights, and legacies — but no belts.

Gervonta Davis's next fight

No belts. Despite scoring the biggest win of his career, Tank is still chasing down best in class status.

If Tank wants legitimate recognition as the best lightweight in the world, then he has to go through undisputed champ Devin Haney, or, more accurately, the winner of the upcoming matchup between Haney and former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko.

While Davis holds the WBA “regular” lightweight championship, that is a mere trinket for promoters and TV execs to salivate over whenever they need to sell one of his fights. Haney is holder of the fully recognized WBA championship, as well as the IBF, WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine crowns.

However, while the unbeaten Haney holds all the gold, not everyone is convinced of his lightweight superiority.

The Las Vegas-based star received undisputed distinction when he beat the man (George Kambosos Jr.), who beat the man (Teofimo Lopez), who beat the man (Vasiliy Lomachenko). The problem is that this division is stacked with elite-level boxers.

Esther Lin/Showtime

Ranking best lightweight division boxers

While Garcia has been eliminated from the game for now, that still leaves Davis, Shakur Stevenson, and the great Lomachenko.

  • All of them are brilliantly skilled
  • All of them are decorated
  • All of them are on or around the pound-for-pound top 10 list
  • All of them believe that they’re the best 

Even if Haney were to beat Lomachenko – and he’s favored to do so – Tank and Shakur rooters will still claim that their guy is the best.

This is how a golden era is made. 

The Davis vs Garcia fight was brilliantly promoted and it delivered. Two young, hard-hitting, unbeaten stars with crossover appeal went at in the prime of their lives. Even the cringe-worthy back-and-forth between duelling promoters and broadcasters couldn’t stop this one from being made. The sport of boxing needed resuscitated and we should be thankful that Davis and Garcia pushed for this fight to happen.

Who will Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko winner face?

Haney vs. Lomachenko — May 20th in Las Vegas — was much easier to put together than Davis-Garcia.

The former signed a multi-fight deal with Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment in March of last year, while Loma has been with Uncle Bob Arum since turning professional a decade ago. As well as that, Lomachenko is the WBC’s mandatory challenger.

The good news is that Stevenson is under the Top Rank umbrella, so a matchup between the winner of Haney vs Lomachenko is completely realistic for the unbeaten whiz kid from Newark.

But where does Tank fit in?

Well, Davis officially split from Mayweather Promotions late last year. The undefeated boxer-puncher still maintains a close working relationship with Floyd Mayweather and CEO Leonard Ellerbe, but his main promotional connection is Premier Boxing Champions. To put it mildly, PBC and Top Rank are not on each other’s Christmas card lists.

MORE: Mayweather and Davis reunite following Garcia KO

But if Davis vs Garcia taught us anything, it’s that rival promoters and networks can still come together to make the biggest fights possible. Amid seething professional enmity, Arum and Don King still came together to make Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran in 1980. Arum and King also came together to make Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad in 1999. In the case of Davis vs. Garcia, PBC/ Showtime made things work with Golden Boy Promotions/ DAZN.

The majority of superfights take hard work and cooperation. It’s almost 100 percent definite that PBC and Top Rank will be required to work together in order for this lightweight golden era to flourish. When it comes to making Tank versus Haney, Lomachenko, or Shakur, then all parties must leave their egos and professional rivalries parked far away from the negotiating table.

For the sake of the sport, Davis vs Garcia cannot be a one-off. The fans deserve to see this great story unfold in full.

Tom Gray

Tom Gray Photo

Tom Gray joined The Sporting News in 2022 after over a decade at Ring Magazine where he served as managing editor. Tom retains his position on The Ring ratings panel and is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.