Putting a price on friendship is never easy, but WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has done just that. The Newark native has finally revealed the amount of money it would take for him to step into the ring against his long-time friend and fellow lightweight champion, Keyshawn Davis. The pair have repeatedly stated they would never fight each other, but Stevenson’s latest comments suggest that, under the right circumstances, anything is possible.

With WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis recently recording a majority draw, now the division has only two boxers with pristine records—Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis. Naturally, fans can’t help but fantasize about a potential clash between them. However, ‘The Businessman’ has made it clear in the past why such a fight is unlikely. Speaking to talkSport, the WBO lightweight champion explained why he would never share the ring with Stevenson. “No, I’d never fight him,” Davis said in a February interview. “It’s definitely deeper. His mum is DMing me all the time. I’m about to spar his brother today, I know his entire family. I even know his sisters. I’ve known Shakur almost his entire life. I know his cousins. I know his whole entire family, so it is not even all about Shakur. At the end of the day, his family would be devastated if we fought. If we did, I would have to look outside of the ring and see his brothers, his cousins, his mother, his auntie that I personally know. It would be weird—I would never fight him.”

The two have been close since they were 14, and Davis has openly acknowledged that Stevenson was a pillar of support during one of the darkest periods of his life. At 18, Davis struggled with severe depression and was admitted to a mental health facility, where Stevenson was there for him. Given their deep-rooted history, it’s easy to see why a fight between them seems improbable. However, Stevenson has now hinted at a possible exception—if the price is right. When a popular X account asked Shakur about their undefeated records and a possible fight between them to help determine who is better for the sake of boxing, the WBC champion revealed what it would cost a promoter to get them in a ring against each other. “Tell em send 200 M’s a piece!!” he stated plainly.

With boxing’s current financial trends, only one man has the resources to make such a fight happen—Turki Alalshikh. Whether the Saudi powerhouse will entertain the idea remains to be seen, but for now, the dream matchup between Stevenson and Davis still seems like just that—a dream.

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In the meantime, Keyshawn Davis is hoping to lure someone else into the ring.

Still against a Shakur Stevenson fight, Keyshawn Davis wants to fight this boxing legend 

Keyshawn Davis has his sights set on a showdown with boxing legend Vasyl Lomachenko. The WBO lightweight champion believes he could be the one to lure the Ukrainian great into one final fight before Loma’s retirement. Lomachenko, 37, hasn’t fought since stopping George Kambosos Jr. in May last year and recently turned down a potential unification bout with Gervonta Davis. 

With his future uncertain, Davis hopes to step in as a worthy challenger. “Lomachenko has had an amazing career,” Davis told The Ring. “If he wants to give me the opportunity, I will be grateful and appreciative.” Davis is coming off a win against Lomachenko’s countryman Denys Berinchyk and wants a busy 2025, with or without the IBF champion. “I want to fight three more times this year,” he said. Given that they are both signed to Top Rank, it looks pretty easy to have a deal made, as long as they both agree to fight each other.

That said, it appears Shakur Stevenson wants the big-boy paychecks if he is going to put his friendship with Keyshawn Davis on the line. However, by the looks of things, Stevenson and Davis aren’t getting that sort of money anytime soon. But that could change after a decade or so. Until then, fans will have to settle for other fights. Do you think Stevenson and Davis deserve that sort of payout for a fight?