Shakur Stevenson eyes Gervonta Davis superfight moving forward

Undefeated Shakur Stevenson successfully defended his WBC lightweight championship with a ninth-round stoppage victory over Josh Padley on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Padley, who stepped in on just four days' notice after Floyd Schofield fell ill, was no match for Stevenson, who quickly set his sights ahead on a potential superfight.

The 27-year-old Stevenson called out division rival Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who is scheduled to defend his WBA lightweight world title on March 1 against Lamont Roach at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"Gervonta 'Tank' Davis. I think that’s the biggest fight in boxing. Me and him can make the most money if we make this fight happen, so let’s do it," Stevenson said after the fight, via Ring Magazine.

Despite the dominant victory, Stevenson faced heavy criticism from fans and pundits alike, with some even booing as he celebrated the win. Though Stevenson stopped Padley, a part-time fighter and electrician, the mismatch in class was evident, as Padley had been working a construction job earlier in the week.

The time it took to finish the fight added fuel to the criticism, with Davis himself chiming in on social media during the contest, posting "LOL" on X, seemingly taking a shot at his rival.

While Stevenson needed an early knockout and a higher-caliber opponent to truly silence critics, he still secured the win. Should Davis do the same against Roach, the two could be on a similar timeline for a much-anticipated clash.

With a blockbuster year of boxing set, including the recent highly anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, as well as a superfight involving Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, 2025 is shaping up to be a thrilling year for the sport. 

While Stevenson vs. Davis may not be the "biggest fight in boxing," as Stevenson suggested, it’s undeniably an intriguing matchup between two talented, undefeated fighters that would surely capture widespread attention and generate significant pay-per-view revenue.