Shakur Stevenson's team is prepared to enter into negotiations with Gervonta Davis over a possible fight.
Davis was in talks to face Vasyl Lomachenko in a WBA and IBF lightweight world title unification clash this year.
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All indications are that conversations were progressing well between Bob Arum's Top Rank (who promote Lomachenko) and Al Haymon's PBC (who represent Davis) for a November showdown.
However, Lomachenko's manager Egis Klimas has declared the Ukrainian slickster doesn't have the motivation to box again this year and so won't return to the ring until 2025.
With the Loma fight off the table for the back end of this year, Davis' co-trainer Kenny Ellis indicated that they may target a fight with WBC champion Stevenson next.
Stevenson's co-manager Josh Dubin, insists their "phone lines are open."
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“It’s all up to ‘Tank.’ The one thing about Shakur – he will take anyone you put in front of him,” Dubin told BoxingScene on Tuesday.
“We’re here and waiting and ready to negotiate.”
Boxing Scene reported that there have been preliminary discussions between Davis and Stevenson's representatives although Dubin declined to comment.
“We’ll know how realistic (Davis and PBC’s interest) is by how financially viable they make it for Shakur,” he added.
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“They know Shakur produced the highest-rated ESPN card of the year (July 6), so they need to come correct...
“It’s a fight Shakur really wants. He’s been begging for it for a long time.
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"What Shakur wants to do – let me say it plainly – is to unify at 135. The logical fights to make that happen are to fight the champions.”
Dubin also revealed that they had tried to get a unification fight over the line with WBO champion Denis Berinchyk but that they "couldn't get a straight answer."
Throwback to when a young Shakur Stevenson hit Viorel Simion so hard he paused in mid-air during viral KO
William Zepeda - who is ranked by all four major sanctioning bodies at 135lbs - is expected to box Berinchyk next.
The Mexican puncher has been ordered by the WBC to box Stevenson next but his promoter Oscar De La Hoya has indicated that he will likely go down the WBO route.
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“The WBO champion is a relatively easy fight to make," De La Hoya said.
"We will pursue that and then probably down the line, rather sooner than later, we will go up against Shakur Stevenson."
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