Top Rank boss Bob Arum has admitted that negotiations for a unification clash between his fighter, IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko, and WBA regular champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis will resume next week.
If the fight goes ahead, Tank Davis’s WBA and Lomachenko’s IBF titles will be on the line in this long-awaited two-fight unification clash. The winner of the fight will be considered the #1 guy in the lightweight division.
Target date: November/December
Arum is targeting the Tank vs. Lomachenko fight in November or December, which would be an excellent time to give the boxing public a mega fight at the end of the year.
This could be the biggest fight of 29-year-old Gervonta Davis’ 11-year career, as he has never faced an A-level fighter like Lomachenko in a 50-50 fight. Given Tank’s great progression in class, we don’t know how he will react to this type of talent.
Tank had his head ripped off last Saturday night by Frank Martin until he was knocked out in the eighth round, and he’s not considered a great boxer.
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Davis will have to improve his game significantly to defeat Lomachenko, as this usual style of playing possum for five to seven rounds, waiting for the opportunity to land a single home run, might not work against the hard-to-hit Loma.
Tank’s fighting style is too simplistic and predictable. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko has seen off fighters like Tank Davis throughout his glittering amateur career, and he could take him to school to embarrass the one-trick pony.
You can’t blame Tank Davis’ promoters for protecting him all these years, keeping him undefeated, and turning him into a star without facing risky opposition. It was a good activity.
Alternative options
Arum mentions that negotiations between Tank and Lomachenko had already begun, which was a continuation of the talks. If Team Tank wants this fight, we’ll see it next. It depends more on them than on Lomachenko, because he has been denouncing him for seven years and facing resistance.
If the Davis-Lomachenko fight doesn’t happen, Tank will likely consider fighting Ryan Garcia or Shakur Stevenson. These are the other two names Tank Davis mentioned last Saturday night as guys he wants to fight.
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A rematch with Ryan will be tricky, as he faces a potential suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission, and he may not be available until next year.
