Gervonta Davis: record, next fight and profile →
Promising lightweight Michel "La Zarza" Rivera (20-0) is looking to have a very big year. He kicked off his 2021 campaign with an eigth round knockout victory over Anthony Mercado on February 27th. The bout topped a Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 card that supported the Anthony Dirrell-Kyrone Davis main card that aired on FOX.
Undefeated mandatory challenger George Kambosos is promising to do a real number on IBF, WBC Franchise, WBA, WBO lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez. At the moment, the lightweight division is one of the hottest weight classes in the sport.
After weeks of openly discussing the possibility, unbeaten WBC interim-lightweight champion Ryan Garcia is moving away from a potential catch-weight bout with Manny Pacquiao. The two sides had interest, but without a significant financial backer the contest was never going to happen.
WBC interim-lightweight champion Ryan Garcia is blaming eight division champion Manny Pacquiao -- claiming that it was the Filipino superstar who walked away from a potential fight. Garcia says he was ready to move up by two weight divisions to make the fight, but nothing pushed forward besides a handful of loose conversations.
A significant part of Xander Zayas’ journey in 2020 including his graduating from high school. Higher education for the 18-year old welterweight has taken place in the gym and in the ring, never more so than the training camp enjoyed for his first fight of 2021. Among those who shared gym time with Zayas at Centeno’s Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness facility in Davie, Florida included a trio of current and former champs in Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, Adrien Broner and Robert Easter Jr.
Teofimo Lopez is already looking past the leading lightweight competition. The undefeated lineal champion insists greater career opportunities lie ahead than what come from fights to be made his best divisional peers. An upcoming mandatory title defense versus Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10KOs) remains on deck, before exploring bigger challenges—literally.
Gary Russell Jr. is very confident that a pay-per-view fight between him and Gervonta Davis would do big business. Russell is so sure, he thinks that if he and Davis squared off on the same night welterweight rivals Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. finally fought that there would be more interest in Russell-Davis. That scenario would never occur, of course, because Spence, Russell and Davis all are affiliated with Al Haymon, who wouldn’t compete against himself for pay-per-view buys.
There is still plenty of confusion when it comes to the WBC world title in the lightweight division. Teofimo Lopez, who holds the WBO, IBF, WBA titles, is the WBC's franchise champion at 135-pounds. Devin Haney is the WBC's "regular" champion at the weight, while Ryan Garcia hold the WBC's interim-title.
Adrien Broner admires the current state of the lightweight division as much as anyone else in the sport. Still, the idea that Ryan Garcia—or any of the other young guns at the weight—can blast out his stablemate, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (24-0, 23KOs) inside of two rounds is too far-fetched for his liking.
Puerto Rican prospect Xander Zayas is getting ready for his next fight, which takes place at the MGM Grand's Conference Center in Las Vegas, on February 20 when he faces James Martin (6-1).