5 Best Opponents for Gervonta Davis After Win over Ryan Garcia

Gervonta Davis doesn't hold a legitimate championship.

But after Saturday night's KO of Ryan Garcia in their Las Vegas pay-per-view main event, he's given himself an even more prestigious title:

The Face of Boxing.

The Baltimore-born "Tank" scored his 27th finish in 29 wins with a single left hook that left his longtime social media rival gasping for breath as referee Thomas Taylor counted 10.

Davis, a pro for 10 years, replied "abso-f--king-lutely" when Showtime's Jim Gray suggested he was the sport's new front man, and that status creates myriad opportunities when it comes to the 28-year-old's prospective next opponents.

The B/R combat team scanned the horizon and came up with five possible options, though some are perhaps more likely given boxing's perpetual (and often confounding) realities.

Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the comments.

Ryan Garcia II

Al Bello/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 22: Ryan Garcia in the black trunks exchanges punches with Gervonta Davis in the green and purple trunks during their catchweight bout at T-Mobile Arena on April 22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Twenty-four hours later, it doesn't seem like such a valid path.

But given a few months and (in Ryan Garcia's case) a few wins, the same forces—engaged social media followings, lingering promotional rivalries, etc.—that brought he and Davis together the first time could make it worthwhile to do it again.

Garcia is the naturally bigger man, but he accepted a 136-pound catchweight and a next-day rehydration clause to get the fight made, then suggested at the post-fight press conference that the contractual hoop-jumping left him feeling less than 100 percent.

"My honest perception," he said, "I didn't feel too good. I didn't feel strong going to the ring, but it is what it is. I signed the contract."

Which begs the question: What happens if they do it again at 140?

Garcia said he plans to fight full-time in the heavier class going forward, and if his weight-related issues are anything close to legit, a second act could be a lucrative possibility.

"I hope we get a rematch one day," he said. "Obviously, I've got to get some wins, but maybe we can do it again."

Joe Cordina

James Chance/Getty Images

CARDIFF, WALES - APRIL 22: Joe Cordina celebrates victory with their Title Belt after defeating Shavkatdzhon Rakimov (not pictured) during the IBF Super Flyweight World Title fight between Shavkatdzhon Rakimov and Joe Cordina at Motorpoint Arena Cardiff on April 22, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)

Davis wasn't the only fighter who advanced a brand Saturday.

It wasn't quite as heralded as the nighttime show from Las Vegas, but before it crossed the pond for the dual-PPV event alongside Showtime, the DAZN streaming service aired a live card from the International Arena in Cardiff, Wales.

And the undisputed star of that show was hometown hero Joe Cordina.

The unbeaten 31-year-old had already reigned once as the IBF's champion at 130 pounds before surrendering the belt because of injury. He was matched with the subsequent claimant—Freddie Roach-trained grinder Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov—and passed the test with compellingly flying colors, showing speed, technique and mettle on the way to a split nod.

He's got a big-time promoter in Eddie Hearn. A huge UK following. And his profile has never been higher in a six-year, 16-fight career than it is right now. In spite of the lower weight, his 5'9" frame and 69-inch reach overshadow Tank's dimensions, so if his strap-collecting ambitions extend past unifying at 130, zeroing in on Davis at 135 would be a competitive bonanza.

Josh Taylor/Teofimo Lopez Winner

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Josh Taylor celebrates victory over Regis Prograis during the World Boxing Super Series Super-Lightweight Ali Trophy Final at The O2 Arena on October 26, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

And now, we enter the conditional portion of our program.

Given his history of belt-collecting (legitimate or not) in all three weight classes from 130 to 140, it's clear that Davis is willing to adjust plans to pursue an attractive fight.

So even though his immediate plans seem to center around the lightweight division at 135 pounds, there's plenty of reason to believe he'll be paying attention in June when Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez fight for Taylor's WBO title at 140.

Davis claimed the WBA's second-tier belt at 140 with a defeat of Mario Barrios in 2021, and he and Taylor lobbed verbal grenades at one another in the aftermath.

And as luck would have it, Davis and imminent challenger Lopez were sparring mates several years ago as teens, and they frequently clapped at one another back when Lopez held a belt at 135.

As recently as February, too, Lopez's father and trainer joined the chatty fray.

"Every time that Tank fights somebody, I don't know who they are," he told Boxing Scene. "Tank is trying to make as much money as he can by fighting nobodies. And that's exactly what he has done."

Stay tuned.

Devin Haney/Vasiliy Lomachenko Winner

AP Photo/Hamish Blair

United States' Devin Haney displays his belts after defeating George Kambosos Jr. of Australia as Haney defends his undisputed lightweight boxing title in Melbourne, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

And here's the conditional program, Part II.

Four-belt champion Devin Haney is the most decorated fighter in the lightweight division after two straight defeats of Lopez conqueror George Kambosos Jr. last year.

He's less than a month away from his highest-profile defense, set for May 20 in Las Vegas against ex-three-division champ Vasiliy Lomachenko, from which the winner will emerge as a certified pound-for-pound player able to call his competitive shots at 135.

And who better to look for after Saturday than Davis?

His advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, echoed that sentiment, effectively saying it's Haney who has to audition for a date with Davis rather than the other way around.

"People just think that you can say, 'Oh, we're just going to make a fight,'" he told FightHype. "It don't work like that. It's not that simple where you just go and do something. You got to be bringing something to the table other than some hardware. It's nothing like that green. I'm talking about the green that you can put in the bank and out of the bank."

Shakur Stevenson

Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 08: Shakur Stevenson (L) and Shuichiro Yoshino (R) exchange punches during their lightweight fight at Prudential Center on April 08, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)

He's a former two-division champion.

He recently debuted in the lightweight division with an impressive KO.

And belts aside, there's no fighter at 135 pounds who's climbing any faster on pound-for-pound lists than Olympic alumnus Shakur Stevenson.

The 25-year-old from New Jersey has repeatedly packed the house at the Prudential Center in his hometown of Newark, has barely dropped a round while winning four title bouts at 126 and 130 pounds, and he has the sort of athleticism and ring IQ that make him undeniably special.

As luck would have it, he's ambitious, too.

He and Davis got together in sparring sessions years ago, and the rivalry is still real enough for Stevenson to suggest to Boxing Scene earlier this year that he's clearly superior.

"I ain't gonna take away credit from [Davis]. I think that he's a helluva fighter," he said. "I mean, look at him. He's fighting pay-per-view knocking these dudes out. That don't take away the fact that I can beat this dude. This dude knows he can't beat me."

And not surprisingly, Davis disagrees.

"Why [is Stevenson] talking like he's the best?," he told Morning Kombat (via Boxing Scene). "He didn't even fight at 135 yet. He didn't even have power at 126 or 130 or none of that. All that stuff is OK. How can you stop people that can actually hit? No matter all that boxing, you're going to get hit. Whatcha gonna do when you get hit?"

Count us in among those dying to find out.