Gervonta Davis, Tevin Farmer, Diaz Continue To Trade Words

By Jake Donovan

The super featherweight three-way of Gervonta Davis, Tevin Farmer and Joseph Diaz continue to save their best talk for when the others already have booked their next fights.

All three have managed to begin the week by renewing claims of wanting to face one another. It began on Sunday, when Farmer—who next defends his version of the 130-pound title versus France’s Guillaume Frenois on July 27 in Arlington, Tex.—publicly floated an idea for his next fight.

“Me and Joseph Diaz should fight in October,” tweeted the Philadelphia-bred southpaw, referring to the 2012 U.S. Olympian with whom he’s been feuding for the past few months.

The two exchanged hard words in person during fight week for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s eventual 12-round win over Daniel Jacobs in their World middleweight championship clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Diaz appeared on the undercard in a knockout win over Freddy Fonseca.

Little else was said beyond fight night. Farmer remained in talks for his mandatory title defense versus Frenois (46-1-1, 12KOs) which will land July 27 on DAZN. With that fight in queue, Farmer is ready to line up his next defense, seemingly with a willing participant.

“Send the contract over, I’m wit’ it,” replied Diaz (28-1, 14KOs), who has won three straight since his lone career loss, versus featherweight titlist Gary Russell Jr. last May. “Man, I’mma beat Tevin Farmer’s a**.”

Farmer’s next fight happens to take place on the same night that Davis (21-0, 20KOs) will appear atop a Showtime card in his Baltimore (Md.) hometown. The unbeaten southpaw will also make a mandatory title defense on July 27, as he faces Panama’s Ricardo Nuñez in a long overdue homecoming title fight.

A press conference for the event is scheduled for Wednesday, but the 24-year old knockout artist was in the mood to generate headlines a few days early. A long-standing feud between Davis and Farmer has existed through social media and nearly played out in real life when the two were in each other’s presence as spectators for an April 2017 show in Oxon Hill, Md.

All that’s come of the confrontation since then has been more talk, up to an including Monday afternoon when Davis announced his next move.

“[M]e and Tevin both fight [July] 27th I’m calling him out after my (fight),” Davis stated on Monday. “[I]f we don’t fight by the end of the year I’m knocking him out whenever I see him[,] on my daughter… since he want to keep talking and da promotion not trying to make the shit happen.”

Naturally, Farmer couldn’t resist taking the bait—not that it requires much prompting.

“P***y you wouldn’t dare,” insisted the 28-year old, who makes the fourth defense of his title he claimed just last August. “You ain’t crazy. We can meet whenever. We ain’t gotta wait ‘til after no fight!”

As the two extended additional offers to fight beyond the ropes, there came the reminder of the very real opportunity to actually settle this in the ring and for plenty of cash.

“You’ve had [three] offers now and the last one was BIG,” noted Eddie Hearn, who co-promotes Farmer along with Lou DiBella. “We’ve had none (from Mayweather Promotions, Davis’ promoter). “Let’s get these July fights won then get it made.”

The last offer extended by Hearn came shortly after Farmer’s last win, a 12-round nod over Jono Carroll this past March in his Philly hometown.

Davis had already fought by that point, tearing through late replacement Hugo Ruiz in one round and awaiting word on his next move. As both are saddled with mandatory defenses, a unification bout would’ve easily trumped the pair of perceived mismatches instead being offered to boxing fans.

Instead, we remain stuck with more of ‘see you next time’ from all involved parties.

“I been ready I’m ready now and [I}will be ready after July,” promises Davis, who makes the second defense of his second tour as a 130-pound titlist. “[L]et’s make it happen.”

Three boxers, plenty of words spoken, zero fights produced among them. Now more than ever, it’s time for some action.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox