Gervonta Davis tops hit lists as Keyshawn Davis says line was crossed
gervonta davis sits at the top of a shortlist for a possible world-title fight at welterweight even as tensions with Keyshawn Davis turn personal, and the fighter’s ring future remains on hold after legal and title setbacks. The placement on the list and the public break with Keyshawn sharpen questions about matchups as promoters and champions set targets.
Gervonta Davis named top target for WBO welterweight ruler
Bill Haney, speaking in an interview with All The Smoke Fight, said there are “about 10 names” on the list for the WBO welterweight ruler and placed Gervonta Davis first, with Shakur Stevenson and Jaron Ennis among the names that followed. Haney included Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia and Keyshawn Davis on the roster; he put Ryan Garcia at number 10 and said Brian Norman had been on the list as well.
The comment frames a potential path that would be a major jump in weight: Gervonta Davis has only fought as high as super-lightweight, a win against Mario Barrios in 2021, and would be undersized at welterweight. Devin Haney, the WBO welterweight ruler who won a title from Brian Norman Jr in November last year to become a three-weight champion, is keeping options open across divisions, Haney’s remarks signaled.
Keyshawn Davis: a mental-health remark changed the rivalry
Keyshawn Davis said in an interview with Come and Talk 2 Me that Gervonta Davis crossed a line by making a mental-health joke about him. “I was cool with you till he said like a mental health joke about me, ” Keyshawn Davis said, adding that the comment turned professional competition into something personal. He warned Gervonta Davis to be ready if a fight comes: “You getting stopped, ” and referenced an unelaborated sparring session by saying, “You know what happened last time you sparred. ”
Those remarks shift how Keyshawn frames a bout with Gervonta Davis: where it had been a career move, it is now a matter of respect and memory from past interactions, Keyshawn said.
A complicated ring return and a canceled bout
Gervonta Davis has not won a fight since June 2024 and had a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr in March that many fans felt should have cost him his unbeaten record. He was scheduled to face Jake Paul, but the event was canceled after he was mentioned in a civil lawsuit two weeks before the fight. The 31-year-old has since been arrested and stripped of his WBA lightweight world title, leaving any immediate return to the ring on hold until his situation outside it is resolved.
The combination of inactivity, legal trouble, and the loss of the WBA lightweight world title complicates any plan to move up to welterweight for a title shot. Still, Bill Haney’s public naming of Gervonta Davis as the top target keeps the matchup in promotional conversation and signals that top champions are considering even significant weight jumps when the opponent’s drawing power and power are factored in.
The next confirmed event on the calendar that could affect future lightweight and welterweight alignments is the determination of a new WBA lightweight world champion, expected on Saturday, April 11, though an ongoing lawsuit involving Vergil Ortiz could push that event back. For now, recovery of ring activity for Gervonta Davis awaits resolution of his legal and title circumstances, while target lists and heated rhetoric continue to shape potential big fights.
