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Claressa Shields and Lauren Price are the only two women to have won Olympic middleweight gold medals so far; Shields and Price are now professional world champions operating in different weight divisions but the American star can see a super-fight with Price taking place down the line

Claressa Shields is a unique fighter. An undisputed champion, she is a multi-weight titlist who has also competed in MMA and who will go for a title in a fourth division later this month.

Claressa Shields stops Brittney Elkin to win MMA debut by TKO

 

She will challenge Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC heavyweight championship in Detroit.

The Olympic middleweight gold medal has only been won by two women, Shields in 2012 and 2016, and most recently Wales’ Lauren Price, who triumphed at the Tokyo Games.

Price dropped down to welterweight after the Olympics and is only seven bouts into her professional career, but has won the inaugural women’s British title and the WBA world title already.
Shields does not rule out Price becoming one of her future rivals.
“It’s hard to put anything past Olympic champions. She won the Olympics 2021,” Shields
“I feel like when you’ve been all over the world and you’ve boxed and you’ve won World championships, it’s kind of destined for you to be great in the pros. I wish her the best of luck.”

Tank has the power, but Shakur believes he has something more important.

There are a few reasons why Gervonta Davis is one of the biggest draws in boxing, and why Shakur Stevenson doesn’t come anywhere close when it comes to selling out arenas and fighting against big name opponents.

The biggest reason is their contrasting styles. Davis likes to knock people out. Stevenson likes winning fights by avoiding punches, which has made many boxing fans label him as “boring“; so much so that he got booed by the crowd in his hometown last weekend.

Gervonta Davis

ls Tank Davis a one-trick pony?

Stevenson addressed what makes him different than Davis and other boxers in a recent interview with Cigar Talk.

People are blessed with different abilities. [Tank] is blessed with a god-given ability that if he cracks you, 9 times out of 10 you’re gonna go down. That’s his ability. I’m blessed with god-given eyes. My eyes are amazing. A lot of people don’t understand how good my eyes are. I can see really well, punches coming my way I know how to get away from them at any given time.

Gervonta Davis

There’s no denying what Stevenson is saying, but it’s why many boxing fans don’t like watching him. He’s a very technical fighter, but sometimes people just want to see hands being thrown.

Stevenson most recently defeated Artem Harutyunyan by unanimous decision, marking the first successful defense of his WBC lightweight title, which he won against Edwin De Los Santos in November of last year. A fight against Davis has been rumored, but it’s far from being a done deal.

Gervonta Davis was mentored by Floyd Mayweather early in his career. Now, their relationship consists of social media digs.

The 29-year-old from Baltimore is flying high after yet another knockout win, this time over previously undefeated Frank Martin, to retain his WBA Lightweight World Title.

At 30-0 with 28 stoppages, many believe ‘Tank’ is unbeatable in his current division. His team certainly do, and they have in the past said it’s only a matter of time until he beats all-comers.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

It appears that, to find a suitable challenge, they’re even looking to past eras. On Instagram, ‘Tank’s co-trainer Kenny Ellis floated the idea of a fight against Mayweather, calling on the 50-0 retired fighter to ‘stop spinning the fans.’

“Gervonta can decode the shoulder roll. If Floyd can fight another exhibition he can fight another fight. If he’s as great as he says he is let’s stop spinning the fans. Gervonta vs Floyd. Can Floyd do what George Foreman did?”

His reference is to George Foreman‘s success as the oldest ever heavyweight world champion, winning the belts at 45. Should Mayweather, 47, ever consider a return for a belt – although it wouldn’t be the one Davis holds as he wouldn’t make 135 – he could break even Bernard Hopkins‘ record of the oldest world champion ever at 46.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

In a recent interview, ‘Tank’ said that multi-weight champion Mayweather would give him a tougher fight than any current contender – a rare compliment these days considering the pair’s relationship has turned increasingly sour.

Whilst the post from Ellis may create some debate about what might happen in a fantasy fight, Davis remains focused on making a lightweight unification against Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Meanwhile, Mayweather will indeed stick to the exhibition circuit and his recently announced ‘rematch’ with John Gotti III, the first of which ended in a brawl.

Tyson Fury gets a shot at avenging his first loss when he rematches Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Brit fell short for the first time in his career in May, losing a split decision to the elite Ukrainian after taking a count from the referee in the ninth round.

Despite Fury’s success in the middle rounds, it was Usyk who showed the gears to become undisputed, upping the pace in the eighth and bloodying his fellow champion’s nose before the crucial next round when he would punch him around the ring.

Fury has claimed he lost because it felt ‘too easy’ in there and he took his eye of the ball.

Tyson Fury Vs. Oleksandr Usyk Gets New Date

British boxing legend Amir Khan backs this thinking, telling The Stomping Ground that he thinks his countryman is better in tha majority of departments save for mentality.

“You make a mistake against someone like Usyk, he’s gonna capitalise on that. What Fury needs to do is box him at his own game. Be smarter than him. He is smarter than him, in my opinion. I think he is better than him as a fighter, and I think he is faster than him as well. It’s just that Usyk is so strong mentally. He just stayed very composed throughout that fight.

World Champion Offers To Help Tyson Fury For Usyk Rematch: "I'm Here If You  Need Me" - Seconds Out

I’m sure Fury will know what to do this time. He’s gonna go into this fight and get the win … I don’t think he’ll stop him. I can’t see Fury stopping him. I think he’ll outbox him.”

The second fight between the two top heavyweights will not be for undisputed since Usyk recently vacated the IBF belt and saw Daniel Dubois elevated to full champion.

The road to success is beset with doubters and disbelievers. But, what about a made man or a woman? Particularly, what if you are a 2-time undisputed champion in boxing and the world’s best active female middleweight champion? Whatever your social status and accomplishments, there is no dearth of trollers on social media who are ready to tear down your credentials. In addition, some are even brave enough to challenge you to a fight. This is exactly what happened when an internet troller rocked up at the HitsvilleGym in Atlanta to have a showdown with Claressa Shields. As expected, it didn’t go well for the person who goes by LOUISVILLE SLUGHER on InstagramShe has been trolling the ‘GWOAT’ relentlessly on social media and figured she had the boxing prowess to back up his trash talk.

Claressa Shields (12-0) remains undefeated, eyes bout with rival Savannah  Marshall - ESPN

 

“I CANT BELIEVE THIS PUNK Axx GIRL PULLED TO @hitsvillegym after trolling me for months! And couldn’t last more than 30 seconds. I damn near killed this H*3″ Shields wrote on Instagram. A cursory look at the troller’s Instagram profile shows that she has been training in a boxing gym from a very early age. In one Instagram post, she claimed she won the Silver Gloves in 2005 by beating former MMA star Ronda Rousey. But, the gulf in boxing prowess was quite evident as she went up against the Olympic gold medalist.

In the video posted by Shields, the bell rang and the two boxers met in the middle. Right off the bat, the troller threw a couple of jabs and a cross but Shields was able to evade it easily. Then Shields went on an all-out offensive. Delivering a double jab to confuse her opponent, a subsequent cross connected flush on the headgear of her opponent.

In the midst of the fight, Shields’ opponent could be heard saying, “Come on with it”, and the former junior-middleweight champion turned it up a notch. Boxing on the front foot, Shields’ aggressive approach forced her opponent into a corner. And then came a barrage of punches from Shields: crosses, jabs, a thunderous body shot, and powerful combinations; all connected. The bell saved the troller from further damage and it looked like Shields was just getting warmed up.

Terence Crawford reveals the opponent he'd like to fight next | DAZN News US

But, to Shields’ displeasure, the fight didn’t continue to the next round. The opponent cited that the “left glove had 2hole” and her manager had to stop the fight. Nonetheless, the ‘GWOAT’ was mad that she couldn’t inflict further damage on her hater. Things got heated and both fighters were about to come to blows but the referee stepped in to prevent further chaos. The video came to the notice of boxing luminaries and they shared their two cents on the fight footage.

A soul-crushing reality check!

That was quite a humbling experience for the self-proclaimed “Queen of the Ring”. But, the LOUISVILLE SLUGHER claims that the footage does not give the whole story. “Yes Me AND CLARESSA SHIELDS FOUGHT TODAY N NO SHE AINT BEAT MY SSA! THEY GOT THE FOOTAGE UP AND KEEP TAGGING ME she felt me and they stopped it that’s the truth,” the Instagram post read. Regardless, if the video that is currently out there is considered, it was nothing but a one-sided beatdown, And the boxing community agrees wholeheartedly!

Shakur Stevenson wants the best that the 135-pound division has to offer. While he is fresh off a dominating victory against Artem Harutyunyan, he has already reiterated his desire to have the marquee fight that he seems to have been chasing for a while. So, who fits the bill? Is it one of the standing champions at 135? Or is it any up-and-coming, hot prospect that can quench his ambition? If you already have a name in mind, then scroll down to see whether it made the list.

‘Sugar’ put on a show before his home crowd at Prudential Center, as he exhibited his superior defense and swift movement. However, it didn’t turn out to be exactly an exciting performance that the fans wanted to witness. While Stevenson made his first successful defense at 135, it also stamped his doubters’ criticism of him being a not-so-fan-friendly fighter and tough to market. The American fighter needs a name that can go to war against him and allow him to showcase the best version of himself. And you don’t have to look beyond the biggest name at 135 in Gervonta Davis.

Gervonta Davis

Shakur Stevenson vs. Gervonta Davis: high payout, clash of brutal force and technical prowess

What does Stevenson, 25, need right now? An opponent that brings the fight to him and possesses an explosive arsenal. What’s more? Davis, 29, more than qualifies. ‘Tank’ has swayed the fans with his thunderous knockout power and has a long list of followers, which will also bring traction to their fight. In addition, the two have been at each other’s throats for quite some time, so the hype and demand for a fight are already there.

And you would love to see a showdown of contrasting fighting styles, where the WBC champion’s technical skills and his fast pair of hands, along with accurate punching ability, might frustrate and triumph over Davis’ in-ring IQ and thunderous power. However, Stevenson also runs the risk of getting ripped apart by the Baltimore native. Will he be able to put on a masterclass of hitting and simultaneously avoid getting hit, as he has done in his previous fights?

Shakur Stevenson versus Gervonta Davis could be next, at least according to Kenny Ellis, the co-trainer of ‘Tank’.

It was reported that Vasiliy Lomachencko, the IBF lightweight champion, was in talks with Davis, the WBA belt-holder, regarding a unification contest but according to Ellis, the Ukrainian veteran is plotting a more direct route to lightweight supremacy.

“Lomachenko said he will step aside and let Gervonta Davis fight Shakur Stevenson this fall and he’ll fight the winner early 2025,” Ellis said on Instagram.

Gervonta Davis

Given Lomachenko’s age, one might presume he’d be better off fighting the likes of Davis sooner rather than later. However, with Stevenson holding the WBC title, Lomachenko could fight for three belts rather than two if he waits a little longer. Furthermore, should Davis defeat Stevenson he’ll be an even more marketable foe for Lomachenko than he is at present. And should Stevenson win, Lomachenko gets the chance to repay the American for last night wearing a shirt with his face on it and the words ‘Bob is saving his son from this ass-whooping’.

Stevenson, who coasted to victory over Artem Harutyunyan, is now a free agent after revealing he turned down a $15m offer from Bob Arum’s Top Rank for a five-fight extension to his now-expired contract with the promotional powerhouse.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

Last week, Stevenson told BoxingScene that a fight with Davis would be “the biggest fight in the world, if we are really thinking about it. Every hood in America is going to watch that fight… That’s the biggest and best fight to make in boxing.

“That’s the game plan for me and the end goal. That’s the fight that I am going to kick the door down with. Honestly, that’s the direction I want to go in.”

The training session between “Tank” and Devin Haney left Mayweather’s pupil in a bad light.

There was a time when Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were good friends. When “Tank” Davis’ career was beginning, “Money” Mayweather took him under his tutelage; however, as the years went by, that friendship became a bitter rivalry that just experienced its most recent chapter.

Mayweather met Davis in 2015, and almost immediately, the former champion could see the young boxer’s potential and gave him a contract with his company, Mayweather Promotions. The relationship lasted about seven years and brought large profits to both parties.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

However, the relationship ended in 2022 amid serious accusations from “Tank” Davis against Mayweather Promotions. In a video he uploaded to his social media, the featherweight champion warned other boxers not to sign with the company at the risk of seeing their career seriously damaged.

The relationship between Davis and Mayweather has been strained since then. Although they have sometimes been seen on friendly terms, verbal exchanges on social media between the two are frequent. The most recent episode was this weekend when Mayweather posted an old video of his former pupil.

Mayweather’s strange post

Without further explanation, the former lightweight champion uploaded a video of a training session between Davis and Devin Haney to his Instagram account. The video lasts 18 minutes, and in it, you can see the boxers exchanging blows with protective equipment while Mayweather clearly coaches Haney.

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather

The video does not have much that is extraordinary. What has caused suspicion in the boxing environment is the moment that Mayweather chose to release it. On Saturday night, “Tank” scored another victory, beating Frank Martin by a resounding knockout in the eighth round.

The fight marked the debut of streaming giant Amazon Prime in boxing shows. The win solidifies Davis’ position as one of the pound-for-pound best of the moment, granting him leverage in negotiations for a re-match with Ryan Garcia or a fight against Vasiliy Lomachenko.

The possible reasons

Some think that the video was a petty attempt by Mayweather to tarnish Davis’ victory somehow. Although if that had been the end, the boxer-turned-promoter made a mistake, as in the footage, you can see an out-of-shape “Tank” holding up without a problem against a Haney who was in fighting shape.

“Tank” defeated “King Ryan” by knockout in the seventh round in April 2023.

A little over a year ago, Gervonta Davis gave Ryan Garcia a resounding knockout in seven rounds. Like any good athlete, “King Ryan” was not very satisfied with the defeat and today he is looking for revenge for a stratospheric sum of money.

The fight, held on April 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was one of the most anticipated of the year. It ended in the seventh round when “Tank” Davis landed a solid hook to the liver. Garcia couldn’t get up at the count of 10, and Davis emerged victorious.

Gervonta Davis shockingly defends Ryan Garcia following positive drugs test  for Devin Haney fight and takes aim at Eddie Hearn | talkSPORT

Although they are bitter rivals in the ring, Garcia and Davis have developed a good friendship and apparently exchange messages with some regularity, as demonstrated by recent screenshots that Ryan shared on one of his social media accounts.

In the middle of the conversation, Garcia made it clear that he would like to set up a rematch with Davis, with a substantial purse involved. Although “Tank” did not give a concrete answer, the prize proposed by Garcia could tempt the current lightweight champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA).

Will there be a Garcia vs. Davis rematch?

In a message dated May 26, Garcia offered Davis a deal: “Bro, can we run it back again?” referring to a rematch for their fight from April last year. He also proposed a sum for the purse to be shared, “Make 200ms,” the Californian suggested.

At that time, Davis still had his fight against Frank Martin pending. “Beat Frank up and let’s make real bank,” proposed “King Ryan” and even gave Davis some advice for the fight, saying, “BODY SHOT.”

Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia results, highlights: Tank avoids scorecards,  scores KO win with body shot | Sporting News Australia

 

 

“Yepppp,” “Tank” responded, and Garcia reiterated, “Cool body shot bro. He is weak to the body.” “And to the chin,” Davis completed.

Ryan maintained his innocence

Garcia could not avoid talking about the doping accusations against him. Elsewhere in the conversation, he assured Davis that he had not cheated in the fight against Devin Haney. He even went so far as to say that he could accept a rematch with Haney“in a real fight.”

Johnny Fisher brands Daniel Dubois ‘the hardest puncher I’ve EVER faced’ ahead of Wembley showdown with Anthony Joshua… as Tyson Fury’s ex-sparring partner explains where he went wrong against Oleksandr Usyk

Unbeaten British heavyweight Johnny Fisher insists Daniel Dubois is the biggest puncher he has ever been in the ring with and believes he is capable of shocking Anthony Joshua at Wembley.

Joshua and Dubois are set to face each other at England’s national stadium on September 21 with the IBF heavyweight title on the line.

When is Tyson Fury fighting Anthony Joshua? Dates, location reportedly set  for heavyweight boxing title fight | Sporting News

 

Two-time champion Joshua is the strong favourite to regain his crown after winning his last four fights, including a spectacular two-round demolition of Francis Ngannou in March.

But Dubois has also proved he belongs on the world stage by winning two on the bounce in Saudi Arabia, and he came through some tough moments to see off the previously undefeated Filip Hrgovic last month.

Having been upgraded to IBF champion after Oleksandr Usyk opted to vacate the belt, Dubois will make his first defence against Joshua in a domestic dust-up.

And Fisher – who has sparred several elite heavyweights such as Tyson Fury – is adamant it will be no walkover for Joshua, after revealing exactly how hard Dubois hits.

‘I’ve sparred Dubois, I’ve sparred Fabio Wardley, Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Carlos Takam, Filip Hrgovic and many more but Dubois is the biggest puncher I’ve ever faced by far, Fisher told Mail Sport. ‘He can seriously, seriously whack.

Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua: ย...

 

‘He’s got more than a puncher’s chance. He’s got a good jab himself and the way he fought Filip Hrgovic, came through the first couple of rounds getting punched and getting hit quite regularly showed he’s got a good chin and he can come forward so it’s not a walkover by any means for Anthony Joshua.

‘If he rattles Joshua early he can send a few warning signals and he can get it done.’

Fisher cannot wait for the British pair to settle their differences in front of up to 100,000 fans at Wembley, but despite backing Dubois to cause Joshua problems, he admitted there are factors in AJ’s favour that could give him the edge.

‘It’s a great fight and it’s brilliant that it’s happening in England in Wembley,’ Fisher added.

‘If I’m thinking of it logically I think Joshua’s got a little bit too much know-how, a bit too much experience and should be the favourite in that fight.’

Poll: Will Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua actually happen in 2021? - Bad Left  Hook

 

The heavyweight division is thriving at the moment, with another huge showdown on the horizon between Fury and Usyk.

Usyk beat Fury via split decision in May to become undisputed champion, but the Gypsy King will get his shot at redemption on December 21 when they square off again in Saudi Arabia.

Reflecting on why Fury fell short the first time around, his ex-sparring partner Fisher felt Fury’s weight and in-ring antics cost him in the gruelling 12-round contest, but backed him to put things right in the rematch.

‘I thought it was a very close fight. I thought or two rounds to Usyk is probably fair, but it wasn’t as if Fury was out of the fight,’ Fisher said.

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