Mikey Garcia Wrongly Dismisses a Davis vs Stevenson Unification
An intriguing potential matchup in 2025 would be a battle between lightweight world champions Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) and Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs). However, one boxing aficionado who is against it happening is multi-divisional champion Mikey Garcia who believes it would not be entertaining for the public. Respectfully, Garcia’s take is off-base and misguided.
NOT INTERESTED
Garcia spoke exclusively with FightHubTV. When asked about that potential battle, he gave his reasons on why he’s giving it a hard pass.
“I’m not a big fan of that fight. I do believe that Shakur is a great fighter. As skills go, he’s got the skills, he’s got the talent . . . I’m not a fan of that fight because Shakur Stevenson is going to fight his fight, regardless of what the critics or fans or anybody want to see. . . . He’s going to be a boxer – a counterpuncher. Winning is winning for him.
As a fight fan, that turns me off. As a fighter, I applaud him and understand and give him all the respect for the skills. His talent is great but as a fight fan, that turns me off. I’d much rather see Tank fight other guys. For example, a Lomachenko. I know Lomachenko is there to fight.”
Garcia went on to label Stevenson as “dull”. In his estimation, Stevenson is not a good fighter for the fans. In truth, it’s not the first time that Stevenson has been called dull.
WHERE HE GETS IT WRONG
For every person who thinks Stevenson is boring, there’s someone who appreciates the boxing prowess of the reigning WBC 135-pound champion. Garcia has the right to his opinion but he must understand that styles and the assessment of how someone elects to put their talents on display are subjective.
Davis is one of the hardest punchers in the sport. Yet, he is yet to prove his greatness and has never faced anyone with Stevenson’s Ring IQ, boxing ability, and defense. Conversely, Stevenson is looking for a signature opponent to prove that he’s an elite fighter. Those factors are what would make the matchup so interesting.
More importantly, this is where the former champion goes astray. Yes, Lomachenko is the reigning IBF lightweight champion and a future Hall of Famer. However, the 36-year-old has seen his best days and was recently granted a second medical extension by the IBF due to injury. Many boxing insiders believe that he’s pondering retirement.
Davis and Stevenson are in their prime. Economically, it makes the most sense at 135. It’s a fight that’s been called for by boxing fans on social media and various boxing message boards.
The winner would be more in their right to call themselves the best lightweight in the world. Why would anyone be against that? Garcia’s assessment runs up against what is in the best interest of both fighters.
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