Claressa Shields at the premiere of the movie The Fire Inside on December 4, 2024. IMAGO / Future Image

Claressa Shields Talks 'Insane' Manny Pacquiao vs Gervonta Davis Fight

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 4:19 PM ET

The summer of 2025 is shaping up to be a memorable one for the boxing world, as many of the sport's biggest stars are making their return to the ring between now and mid-September, when Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will be going toe to toe.

Two of the most compelling fights to come are when 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao faces Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight belt on July 19, and when Gervonta "Tank" Davis rematches Lamont Roach after a controversial majority draw fight earlier this year on August 16.

In addition to the fights themselves being intriguing, the potential implications of Pacquiao and Davis each emerging victorious are fascinating. This is because Pacquiao has asserted that if he looks and feels good against Barrios (and gets a win), he would have an interest in facing off against Davis, so long as Tank beats Roach in their rematch.

BIG NEWS: Manny Pacquiao is eyeing a super fight with Gervonta Davis.

Pacquiao’s advisor Sean Gibbons stated:

“When he beats Mario Barrios, line them up. His dream fight is Gervonta Davis. He loves that fight. He has tried to get that fight for a couple of years. Manny… pic.twitter.com/J15ChTcT6f
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) June 1, 2025

It isn't just male boxers who have a stacked summer schedule. In addition to the highly anticipated trilogy between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano (which will be headlining an all-women's card at Madison Square Garden on July 11), pound-for-pound great Claressa Shields has a bout slated for July 26, when she'll face Lani Daniels in a heavyweight title fight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Claressa isn't afraid to make her opinion apparent on social media. And on July 10, she openly speculated about a potential superfight between Pacquiao and Tank Davis.

"This is kinda insane, I feel like If Pac man beats Barrios, that’s gonna set up a fight with him and Tank could y’all imagine Pacquiao Vs Tank?" Shields wrote in a reply to a video of Pacquiao jogging.

This is kinda insane, I feel like If
Pac man beats Barrios, that’s gonna set up a fight with him and Tank could y’all imagine Pacquiao Vs Tank? https://t.co/pgfxeA0naV
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) June 11, 2025

What's for sure is that Shields isn't alone in being interested in this potential superfight, especially if Pacquiao emerges victorious against Barrios.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: