Davis, Lopez, Haney, and Garcia Shouldn’t Be Coasting Right Now
There is a dangerous trend in boxing that will eventually destroy the sport. Top names such as Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs), Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC), and “King” Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) lead the pack by not fighting enough.
The sport’s superstars, those who have earned the right to fight only twice a year, were granted that privilege. Guys like Manny Pacquiao, Hall of Fame Inductee Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar De La Hoya received a pass, considering they at least gave fans one big fight.
When looking at their overall body of work, undisputed champions Oleksandr Usyk, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford deserve some leeway. That’s not the case with this current generation. They should not be resting their heads after two fights a year.
THEY ALL SLOWED DOWN AFTER THE PANDEMIC
After the 2020 global pandemic, they’ve all pumped the brakes on their workload. Since winning the biggest fight of his career in 2020, The Takeover (21-1, 13KO) has barely fought twice a year. In addition, he hasn’t faced a quality opponent since Vasyl Lomachenko. For what its worth, there is talk of Haney returning in 2025 against Lopez. This would be a step in the right direction, should the bout occur. However, that would only
Haney (31-0, 15K) deserves credit for becoming an undisputed lightweight champion. However, he’s under heavy scrutiny for suing Garcia following an embarrassing defeat. In addition, he did himself no favors by deciding to take some time off. Several pundits believe he should have fought Sandor Martin despite a low purse bid by Top Rank.
Tank’s (30-0, 28KO) fight with WBA junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. won’t happen until 2025. Furthermore, his resume has come under attack for the recent string of unproven opponents. Some boxing fans are tired of screaming for him to fight one of the top guys in his division.
Garcia (24-1, 20KO) is the worst and the most glaring example. He became a star due to social media and his relationship with Canelo. He’s yet to fight for a world title, so he should not have been allowed to chill with two fights a year under his belt. King Ryan is currently serving a one-year suspension for a positive test of a banned substance.
Haney, Davis, and Garcia are examples of what’s been happening across all divisions. Today’s fighters seem to get more attention for posting on social media than anything they do in the ring. There’s no excuse for the inactivity. It all speaks to a certain sense of entitlement. The boxing public and pundits need to hold them accountable. Let’s hope we get more from fighters in 2025.
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