NEWS: SHAKUR STEVENSON-GERVONTA DAVIS VERBALLY SPAR; DEVIN HANEY-TEOFIMO LOPEZ COMING SOON?; ZACH PARKER DISCUSSES INJURY
GERVONTA DAVIS & SHAKUR STEVENSON EXCHANGE WORDS
By: Jay Calderon
While Gervonta Davis may already have two fights lined up for 2023, it appears as though the talented American is ready to start calling out more than just Hector Garcia and Ryan Garcia, whom he meets in January and April of 2023, respectively.
During an interview with The Rize Podcast, Davis was questioned about his sparring sessions with fellow unbeaten fighters Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson.
Over the years, there have been rumors fueled by all sides that one fighter has gotten the better of the others while taking part in these epic gym spars. While little-to-no video footage has surfaced, each boxer has claimed to get the upper hand in these meetings.
YouTube personality Blue Blood Sports TV stated that he was told Haney most recently handled Davis during a practice session. However, Davis suggested he hasn't had trouble with either of the previously mentioned fighters.
"[They] can not touch me -- at all. They've all been in the ring with me, and I've cracked both of them. I've cracked both of them. [Haney] didn't get the best of me," Davis said.
Davis then reminded the interviewers that there have been multiple sparring sessions, and that he had nearly put Haney away in their initial spar, which he claimed took place at Floyd Mayweather's Las Vegas gym.
"You know, I sparred [Haney] twice, and any time I caught him, they took him out the ring. I almost knocked him out in Floyd's gym, did they tell you that?"
Having caught wind of the clip, unbeaten former Jr. Lightweight world champion Stevenson took to Twitter to share some of his side to the story.
"He waits until he gets two fights lined up to start talking crazy. If he believes that lie he just told, tell him fight me then," Stevenson tweeted. "And be real 'bout sparring if you gone come up here. Tell them how you learned so much sparring me, (that) you wanted to train with me and everything."
Responding directly to the above tweet, Davis seemed to brush aside the claims made by Stevenson.
"I never learned shit from you, homie. You a kid, like I told you before," the 28-year-old Davis said of the 25-year-old Stevenson.
Ah, what fun.
While Twitter drama is nothing new, it does seem to be leading to a decent fight here or there. Davis already has a few fights lined up for the near future, it's good to see Stevenson is ready and willing to face every fighter within a hundred mile radius, it seems.
And he may need that mentality going forward. Unfortunately for Stevenson, many fighters still look at him as more trouble than he is worth. High risk, low reward. However, keeping himself in the limelight while chasing all the fights and staying busy could increase the reward long term and make the process of putting those fights together less of a task.
In any event, this is Twitter beef. It likely goes nowhere for now. Still, a little spice is always fun.
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TEAM HANEY INTERETED IN TEOFIMO LOPEZ AFTER VASYL LOMACHENKO
In a video released by FightHype.com, Bill Haney, the father and trainer of World Lightweight champion Devin Haney, is already on the phone trying to set up his pupil's future fights.
While Devin is expected to face former Lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko next, Team Haney remain confident he will be victorious. And, should they win, they're hopeful a bout with another former Lightweight world champion in Teofimo Lopez can come soon thereafter.
Lopez, scheduled to face Mikey Garcia-conqueror Sandor Martin on December 10, and his trainer/father Teofimo Lopez, Sr., have had a long history of verbally sparring with the Haneys.
Most recently, according to the elder Haney, Lopez, Sr., has been vocal about his son beating Devin in a potential encounter. Naturally, Bill Haney doesn't seem to agree.
While on camera, Bill Haney decided to call Senior and look to get a verbal agreement on a future fight. Senior didn't answer the phone, so Haney decided to leave a voice message instead.
"I heard what you said," Bill Haney said. "We going to handle our business with Lomachenko, you handle your business with that fighter that beat Mikey Garcia -- good little fighter, too. You handle your business, and we going to handle ours. God willing, we going to make this thing happen.
"I've been hearing you fat-mouthing all around the city about what you going to do," Haney continued. "I wanna hear back from you, that it's on after we handle our business and after you handle your business. If not, I'm coming to look for you at the gas station and that liquor store you hang out at."
An entertaining video, for sure. However, what would be all the more interesting is a 140 pound encounter between these talented rivals.
Haney's days at 135 pounds are numbered, and Lopez has already moved up a weight class since his sole defeat, at the hands of the man from whom Haney took the title, George Kambosos. So, if the fight is to be made, it's likely at Jr. Welterweight.
To some extent, that makes the encounter a bit more interesting. At Lightweight, Haney would seem to have the edge. Perhaps, one could argue, at 140 pounds, that edge would still be there. However, with it being at a new weight class, that added unknown element provides an element of intrigue.
In any event, hopefully this is another interesting encounter to add to the 2023 docket.
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ZACH PARKER DISCUSSES BROKEN HAND FROM JOHN RYDER FIGHT
On Saturday, November 26, Super Middleweight contender Zach Parker suffered the first loss of his professional career. This occurred when, during a contest with veteran John Ryder in London, Parker injured his right hand after a competitive four frames of action
With a potential shot at 168 pound champion Canelo Alvarez on the line, many were shocked to see the talented Brit and his team retire in their corner due to damage. However, as Parker explained to IFL TV in a post-fight interview, there was little he could do.
While he gave thought to continuing the fight, Parker felt that it was impossible at this level of the game.
"Yeah, I was thinking about [continuing to fight with a broken hand], but at this top level, you can't do it, can you? Obviously, if it was a smaller fight, I probably could do. But, yeah, I'm just fuming. Gutted," Parker expressed.
While some have suggested perhaps Parker was looking for a way out, or quit, Parker insists he felt fine up until the injury, which he suggests happened when he hit Ryder's elbow during a body shot attempt.
"I felt alright," Parker stated. "First few rounds, I was picking him off. That was the game plan: Pick him off, wear him down throughout the rounds. Obviously, he's going to keep coming, but you've seen that I was picking him off, going to the body. I was warming up into it."
Whether he was looking for a way out or simply couldn't carry on, boxing can be a cruel sport when fans believe a fighter has quit. In many cases, it's a laughable approach to watching a sport, where you expect the athlete to risk further injury. However, boxing is an unusual sport.
In any event, Parker will need something of a rebuild. Luckily, he didn't take a serious beating, and he doesn't have a history of hand injuries.
Ryder is now the mandatory for Canelo Alvarez, and while this fight might seem absurd at first, it isn't an impossibility. Eddie Hearn, a promoter that works closely with Canelo, has suggested the Mexican could be fighting internationally soon. A fight with Ryder in London would do well.
What's more, Canelo has stated he wants something of a tune up in May of next year before a likely rematch with Bivol in late 2023. While Ryder is tough, it's a presumably easier touch for Canelo, that also allows him to get rid of a mandatory obligation in a fight that could sell if staged overseas.
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