Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia promote a negative trend (Credit: Devin Haney Promotions, IG @teofimolopez and Golden Boy) Davis, Lopez, Haney and Garcia shouldn’t be sailing right now
There is a dangerous trend in boxing that will eventually destroy the sport. Notable names like Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs), Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC), and “King” Ryan Garcia (24 -1, 20 KOs) lead the pack by not fighting enough.
Sports stars, those who earned the right to fight only twice a year, were granted this privilege. Guys like Manny Pacquiao, Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar De La Hoya get a pass, considering they at least gave fans one big fight.
When looking at their body of work, undisputed champions Oleksandr Usyk, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and WBA junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford deserve some leeway. This is not the case with this current generation. They shouldn’t rest their heads after two fights a year.
They all slowed down after the pandemic
After the global pandemic in 2020, they all curbed their workloads. Since winning the biggest fight of his career in 2020, The Takeover (21-1, 13KO) has barely fought twice a year. Additionally, he hasn’t faced a quality opponent since Vasyl Lomachenko. And for what it’s worth, there’s talk of Haney returning in 2025 against Lopez. This would be a step in the right direction if the match happens. However, that would just do it
Haney (31-0, 15K) deserves credit for becoming the undisputed lightweight champion. However, he is under intense scrutiny because he sued Garcia after an embarrassing defeat. Plus, he didn’t do himself a favor when he decided to take some time off. Many pundits believe he should have fought Sandor Martin despite the lower purse offer by Top Rank.
Tank’s (30-0, 28KO) fight with junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. won’t happen until 2025. Furthermore, his resume has been attacked by a recent string of unproven opponents. Some boxing fans are tired of screaming at him to fight one of the best in his division.
Garcia (24-1, 20KO) is the worst and most obvious example. He became a star because of social media and his relationship with Canelo. He had yet to fight for a world title, so he wasn’t going to be allowed to rest easy with two fights a year under his belt. King Ryan is currently serving a one-year suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
Haney, Davis, and Garcia are examples of what’s happening in all departments. Fighters today seem to get more attention for posting on social media than for anything they do in the ring. There is no excuse for inactivity. All of this speaks to a certain sense of entitlement. Boxing fans and pundits need to be held accountable. Let’s hope we get more fighters in 2025.
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