Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis has sent a stern warning to WBO world super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez ahead of his uninspiring title defense against Lamont Roach.
The WBA lightweight titlist will return to the ring on March 8, headlining an Amazon Prime pay-per-view card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
But while there are plenty of intriguing matchups to be made in his division, Gervonta Davis is gearing up to face WBA super featherweight champion Roach instead.
Nevertheless, the main-event will be fought at 135 lbs, with Roach insisting that he can overcome the physical advantages of ‘Tank.’
Gervonta Davis claims that he will slap Teofimo Lopez
Davis comes off a punishing eighth-round stoppage victory over Frank Martin, overwhelming his slick opponent with a ferocious onslaught of unanswered blows.
Before that, the Baltimore bruiser produced an even more emphatic display against Ryan Garcia, landing a sickening body shot to halt proceedings in the seventh round.
And yet, while he has showcased his formidable talent across 30 professional victories, the unbeaten puncher continues to evade the career-defining fights.
The fact that he is yet to test himself against a bona fide pound-for-pound star, though, is not necessarily his fault, given that negotiations for the biggest fights are often complicated.
That said, it appears that the 30-year-old is indeed willing to square off against former undisputed king Teofimo Lopez, albeit in a confrontation outside the ring.
“I’mma slap the s*** out of him when I see him,” Davis said at yesterday’s press conference for his fight against Roach. “I’mma really slap the s*** out of him when I see him.”
Teofimo Lopez’s unsavory comments towards Gervonta Davis and Terence Crawford
Davis’ belligerence towards ‘The Takeover’ can largely be explained by Lopez’s previous comments, where he directed a distasteful slur at ‘Tank’ and four-division champion Terence Crawford.
“[I’ll fight] whichever monkey wants to get the banana,” Lopez told Broadway Joel around two months ago. “They say they are gorillas, I’m a lion, I eat them.”
Regarding his career inside the ring, Lopez has failed to set the world alight since his dominant display against former undisputed champion Josh Taylor last year.
Rather, the 27-year-old has produced two underwhelming performances against Jamaine Ortiz – in a fight that many believe he lost – and Steve Claggett.
And so, a potential clash between Davis and Lopez – preferably inside the ring – would certainly bolster both fighters’ careers.