Michel Rivera Values A Title Fight with Tank Davis Over All Others
When last in the ring, lightweight boxer Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera (24-1, 14 KO’s) tasted a double-dose of professional poison. Not only did he suffer his first pro loss to Frank Martin, he was flagged for PED’s in the aftermath. Rivera, 25, has yet to slide back into the ring since that shaky performance but is hopeful that he will return to combat this July. Naturally, he has expressed interest in a rematch that is not likely to happen anytime soon considering the dominance of Martin’s win.
Being the competitor that he is however, Rivera certainly understands and wants to climb back up the ranks to obtain a title shot. At the current time, he is ranked #14 (IBF) and #14 (WBC), which means that he certainly has his work cut out for him. Yet, if he had a genie in a bottle, as explained when asked by Fight Hype, he’d love a duel with WBA Regular Lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis (29-0, 27 KO’s).
“That is the fight of my dreams [versus Tank Davis] because I want to fight for the world title, my dream is to be world champion. And I am a big guy, I have a good jab, I know how to [maintain] distance.”
SLOW GRIND
If we’re being honest though, Rivera is far from a title fight of any sort and lightyears away from Tank. At the moment, Tank is one of the hottest commodities in the sport and housed in one of the more visible divisions. Even before the loss, Rivera’s face and name was generally only recognized by hardcore fans. So, it’s not likely he was ever realistically in contention for the Gervonta Davis duel. Now, saddled with the setback, he has tumbled that much further down the ladder.
His ambition is further complicated by the fact that Tank has potential high-profile fights with pugilists such as undisputed champion Devin Haney and two-division champion Shakur Stevenson. Not to mention that Davis’s team has publicly stated their interest in re-matching Isaac Cruz. Given the current landscape, this dream fight, for the time being, will remain a fun midnight mental movie!
