Gervonta Davis has questioned Shakur Stevenson’s ability to mix it with the best at lightweight, doubting his power at the higher weight-class and wondering what happens when 25-year-old gets hit.
Stevenson won the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics before switching to the professional ranks the following year.
Since his debut, the southpaw has won all of his twenty fights, and become world champion at both featherweight and super-featherweight, but now has his eyes set on taking on the main players in perhaps the sports most competitive division.
However, notorious power-puncher, Davis, believes that Stevenson lacks the power to live up to the high expectations, having gone the distance in half of his professional fights.
‘Tank’ told Morning Kombat that fans will see whether his fellow American is as good as they think, once he gets hit by someone with power.
“Why do people even talk like he’s the best?
He didn’t even have power at 126lbs or 130lbs. How can you stop people that can actually hit? All that boxing, you’re gonna get hit, what you going to do when you get hit?”
Stevenson is now the frontrunner for a shot at the undisputed crown, after he defeated Shuichiro Yoshino on his 135lb debut and Devin Haney successfully defended his belts against Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Meanwhile, Davis will be made to sit on the side-lines before he can attempt to become a two-division champion himself, after being sentenced to jail time this week, where he is expected to serve two-months of his initial three-month punishment.
‘Tank’ is undoubtedly the money fight in the division so could pick and choose his opponents – but has made it clear in the past that he’s not chasing any easy nights.