Gervonta Davis needs to get back in the mix. Normally, that isn’t a huge issue. The lightweight division usually affords him with a ton of fighters to choose from. But, his options, at least for now, are limited.
Devin Haney is getting ready for his showdown against Ryan Garcia, William Zepeda isn’t a household name, Vasiliy Lomachenko is tied up with George Kambosos Jr., and Shakur Stevenson is searching for new employment since announcing his retirement recently. So, it’s time to get creative.
Conor Benn recently grabbed Davis’ attention. The welterweight Brit might be fresh off a lopsided win over Peter Dobson, but Davis seemingly saw enough to want a fight with him next.
After a curse-filled back and forth over social media, Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter, revealed that he gave Davis a call and is currently doing his best to make the fight happen. Going into complete details in terms of the financial portion could lead to talks going nowhere. So while Hearn wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag, he did admit that Davis has a huge paycheck waiting on him if he decides to take the deal.
“It was a significant offer,” explained Hearn to Boxing Social. “An eight-figure offer with plenty of upside. I want to try and make the fight. We’re trying to make it work.”
Only a handful of fighters command more money than Davis. Hearn knows it. But outside of getting Davis to agree to his financial terms, Hearn has another hurdle to overcome.
Davis has spent a ton of his career fighting at 135 pounds. Benn, on the other hand, is a sturdy welterweight. Davis has made a few appearances above the lightweight limit though. Keeping that in mind, if he wants a matchup with Benn, he’ll have to acquiesce to his weight demands.
“147 pounds,” said Hearn when asked at what weight would Davis vs. Benn take place. “Gervonta’s boxed at 140 before. Gervonta’s boxed at 136, so 147 pounds.”