Mike Tyson Wants Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson on Tank's Return

Gervonta Davis hasn't had his hand raised since knocking out Frank Martin in June 2024, and the layoff has already cost him. The 30-0-1 (28 KO) star was demoted to WBA 'champion-in-recess' during a legal mess outside the ring, and Floyd Schofield has since scooped up the vacant lightweight belt. With a comeback penciled in for early 2027, the question isn't whether Tank returns — it's who he should return against.

Mike Tyson has an answer. Speaking on the Whoo's House Podcast, Iron Mike said he wants to see Davis share a ring with Shakur Stevenson, calling the matchup a great fight. It's a bold ask: Stevenson is 25-0, a four-division world champion, and currently sits as the WBO super-lightweight titlist. Two unbeaten Americans, zero easy nights.

Tyson's Bigger Point

Tyson's frustration wasn't really about one fight. He rattled off a wishlist — Davis, Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Ryan Garcia — and praised the current crop of American talent before landing on his real gripe: they keep circling each other instead of fighting. These are great fighters, he argued, and they just need to actually sign the dotted line against one another.

The timing works, at least on paper. Stevenson has been idle since January after his release from Zuffa Boxing, and he's openly hunting an opponent. Davis is the most intriguing name on that list for obvious reasons — his 28 knockouts speak a different language to Stevenson's 11, which tells you exactly how these two go about their business.

Belt or Weight Jump?

There's a fork in the road for Tank. He can chase Schofield — now 19-0 (13 KO) after a first-round stoppage of Tevin Farmer — to reclaim the lightweight title he lost to inactivity. Or he can follow Stevenson up to 140 and go after the WBO strap. The Stevenson fight only happens if Davis commits to the heavier division.

Davis last appeared in a frustrating majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr., his only outing in a stop-start stretch. Whether he settles old business with Schofield or swings for a legacy fight against an unbeaten champion, Tyson's made his preference clear. Fans would take either, but one of those options is a lot harder to make than the other.