Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis opts for Shakur Stevenson as next opponent for Tank
So far, the 2023 calendar has been incredibly kind to team Gervonta Davis.
For the hard-hitting star out of Baltimore, Maryland, he stopped Hector Luis Garcia during their showdown in the first month of the new year. For an encore, he soaked his gloves in the blood of Ryan Garcia, ruthlessly dropping his man in the second round, before finishing him off in the seventh frame of their April 22nd, clash.
With plenty of time left in the year, team Davis is looking to throw their man in another meaningful bout. According to the 28-year-old’s trainers, only a handful of fighters remain on their radar, specifically Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson.
Although Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) doesn’t have a preference, Kenny Ellis, his assistant trainer, took it upon himself to make Davis’ decision for him. Haney, 24, is fresh off the second defense of his undisputed throne with a unanimous decision victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko. As for Stevenson, the former Olympic silver medalist made a splash of his own about a month ago, stopping Shuichiro Yoshino in his lightweight debut.
Ellis, instead of simply naming the fighter he would rather see Davis matchup with next, took a bit of a different approach. With head trainer Calvin Ford standing beside him, Ellis dug into his pockets and pulled out a shiny quarter. Before flipping said quarter, Ellis made it clear that no matter which side it fell upon, that would be the fighter he turned his attention to.
“Heads Devin, Tails Shakur. It’s tails,” revealed Ellis in a self-recorded video. “Shakur, call your team and tell them you want Tank. Whoever is not willing to make it happen, get rid of they ass. You the boss. The fighter is the boss. If Bob Arum don’t want it, tell him let you out the f——contract.”
As Ellis alludes to, Stevenson’s contractual obligations could be an obtrusive roadblock. With Stevenson fighting under the promotional banner of Top Rank, Ellis is wary that the 25-year-old will be unable to face Davis later this year.
In the grand scheme of things, however, Ellis believes that Stevenson’s promotional affiliation means little to nothing. In terms of fate, one particular coin has acted as judge and jury. Now, with a target painted brazenly on his backside, the ball is firmly in Stevenson’s court.
“We don’t need no more warm-ups, we want Shakur next. You a champion right? Come get that work.”
By Hans Themistode