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WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson might be working for his upcoming fight against rising prospect Floyd Schofield Jr. on February 22nd on the stacked card headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch. However, the fight he really wants, and the fight that will define his career is against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis

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The pair have been on a collision course for quite a while now, but a fight between them has been nearly impossible to put together. Frustrated, Stevenson is done asking—now, he is exposing the truth! What truth—you might be thinking? They might not have fought under the bright lights yet, but they have fought.

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You see, during the early years of their careers, the lightweight behemoths battled in sparring. While there isn’t any footage available for fans to dissect, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. According to a report from talkSport, ‘Tank’ boasted about cracking Stevenson during the last sparring session and had the Newark native legging it.

However, he wasn’t alone in tooting his own horn—even Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis claimed that Stevenson left their camp early because Davis had chipped Stevenson’s tooth. Stevenson, unwilling to sully his good name or tooth, addressed the situation with talkSport. “He’s lying. He never in his life hurt me. I’ve got a hell of a chin,” he told talkSport.

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Stevenson described what really happened during the sparring session, suggesting the session was great but, “The last spar we had he came up to me and said ‘Bro, you have got so much better. Bro, you are so good.’” To prove his side of the story is the real account of their encounter, he pointed at the way Davis treated him previously and the sudden change in character.

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“I’m not lying. He’s a hell of a fighter, I have got nothing to take away from him,” he added. “But I’m a hell of a fighter myself and it was good work every time.” While the truth remains uncertain, it will only come to light if the sparring session clip is released. In the meantime, Davis is scheduled to face Lamont Roach Jr. in Brooklyn. 

And the question is, should both fighters come out unscathed could there be a fight between them this year? Steveson pointed at Turki Alalshikh, as a fight with Davis starting to look impossible, reaching its breaking point. 

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Shakur Stevenson says it’s on Gervonta Davis to make the fight

It’s no secret that ‘Sugar’ Stevenson has been advocating for a fight against Davis for the longest time. Now that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is in the picture, Stevenson is hoping the Saudi Royal can lure Davis into the ring. However, the Newark native blamed Davis for the lack of a fight between them already.

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“He’s the big superstar, he’s the big name, the biggest pay-per-view superstar in the sport of boxing so with him being the biggest name and attraction it’s on him [to make it happen],” Stevenson told talkSport. “The ball is in his court. I can’t say ‘I’m going to send him an offer. Turki [Alalshikh] can,” Stevenson said almost giving up on the fight. 

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Stevenson concluded that he doesn’t know why the fight between them hasn’t happened yet, adding, “He is a weird human being. I don’t have much respect for him to be honest.”

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That said, Shakur Stevenson is not willing to stand for Gervonta Davis’ claims that he was dominated by the ‘Face of Boxing’ during a sparring session. The WBC lightweight champion appears frustrated and demoralized as he is holding on to the Saudis as a last resort to make the fight he wants so badly. Who do you think is telling the truth about their sparring session? Is Davis ducking Stevenson? 

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Written by

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Sudeep Sinha

4,781 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the storylines around the sport's biggest events and names. He previously spent over two years writing in the Boxing department, where his fight-night coverage was featured on Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, including his reporting on Ryan Garcia's career arc. On the golf beat, Sudeep covers tour news, player form, and the season-long storylines that shape the men's and women's game, from majors to the ongoing shifts in how professional golf is structured. That same appetite for detail that made his boxing coverage stand out now shows up in how he breaks down a swing change or a schedule shakeup for hardcore and casual fans alike. Outside work, he splits his time between reading, cycling, and following combat sports.

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Gokul Pillai

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