Shakur Stevenson showcased his elite skills once again, securing a dominant victory over Josh Padley by stoppage in the ninth round of their match on Saturday night. It was the WBC lightweight champion’s 23rd win of his career and he remains undefeated. Despite the clear victory, Stevenson faced some adversity, injuring his left hand early in the fight. Forced to switch to an orthodox stance, he continued to land heavy shots on Padley, proving his versatility and resilience inside the ring.
However, not everyone was impressed by the champion’s performance. Shortly after the fight, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis took to social media, simply tweeting, “Lol.” While the message was short, it carried a lot of weight, as it implied that Davis wasn’t overly impressed with Stevenson’s showing.
Never one to back down, Stevenson quickly fired back at Davis, telling him –
Stay focused.. Lamont ready to tap that chin https://t.co/VF0WfOEiPr
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) February 22, 2025
This was a direct reference to Davis’ upcoming bout against Lamont Roach, implying that ‘Tank’ should worry about his own challenges before commenting on Stevenson’s performances.
The back-and-forth exchange has only fueled further speculation about a potential future showdown between Stevenson and Davis, with the latter also never having lost till date (30-0). Fans have long debated how a fight between Stevenson and Davis would play out, with many considering it one of the biggest potential matchups in boxing today. With both fighters remaining undefeated and holding world titles, a collision between them could be inevitable.
While Stevenson continues to prove himself in the ring, Davis remains one of the most dangerous punchers in the sport. Their online exchanges only add to the intrigue, and if their war of words ever translates into an actual fight, the boxing world will be in for a massive showdown.
It’s not just fans who think this fight is inevitable. Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is taking the help of Saudi Arabian minister and head of sport, Turki Alalshikh to make it happen.
Stevenson vs Davis ‘inevitable’, says Hearn
In an interview with FightHubTV on YouTube, Hearn directly appealed to Alalshikh, the key figure behind many high-profile boxing events in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that if he wanted to make the fight happen, he could.
“You wanna see them two in together. So get through Saturday night, let’s just make it happen, Tank vs. Shakur, it’s the best fight in boxing. And on we go.”
‼️Eddie Hearn said after Shakur Stevensons fight on Saturday they are focused on making the Gervonta Davis fight no more waiting around‼️
:@heyitsmarcosv pic.twitter.com/2og4o5zohH— Hassan (@Hassanwellss) February 20, 2025
Originally, Stevenson was set to fight Floyd Schofield Jr. But after Schofield’s sudden withdrawal, Padley stepped in on short notice. While the fight still mattered, Hearn made it clear that the real fight fans want to see is Stevenson vs. ‘Tank’ Davis.
Hearn’s point is valid. Alalshikh has played a significant role in organizing major fights that once seemed impossible. A prime example is the long-awaited matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, talks for which only materialized once Alalshikh stepped in.
With Stevenson’s technical prowess and Davis’ knockout power, a fight between the two has all the ingredients for an instant classic. Fans, analysts, and boxing insiders agree, this is a matchup that must happen.
