Gervonta Davis found a way to pass his toughest test to date Saturday night, when he delivered a scintillating 11th-round TKO of Mario Barrios to become the new WBA (Regular) junior welterweight champion.
"Tank" now holds a title in three different divisions simultaneously including the WBA (Regular) lightweight strap and WBA (Super) junior lightweight championship to go along with the belt that he just snatched this past weekend.
While DAZN News recently answered the question 'who should 'Tank' fight next?', weighing options such as Ryan Garcia, Regis Prograis and the winner of the upcoming tilt between Javier Fortuna and Jo Jo Diaz, there are also some eventual megafight options for the undefeated Davis, the man Mike Tyson calls "probably the greatest fighter around now."
Here, we explore some of those big fight options for the rolling thunder that is "Tank."
Josh Taylor
In the fight week leading up to the Davis-Barrios bout, undisputed junior welterweight king Josh Taylor referred to the WBA (Regular) junior welterweight strap that "Tank" wound up seizing from Barrios as a meaningless joke of a title:
If "Tank" is going to continue to push toward daring to be great, fighting Taylor might be the ultimate test. Few would argue that Taylor is the cream of the crop at 140 pounds, especially considering how the rugged Scottish champion disposed of Jose Ramirez in May and Regis Prograis in October 2019. Prograis shot a stinging warning toward "Tank," warning Davis that he'll get knocked out should Floyd Mayweather Jr. put them into the ring together.
But Taylor is the fellow undefeated fighter with all the major marbles at junior welterweight. Like against Barrios, Davis would have to find a way to get inside of Taylor's height and reach advantage. If he could manage just that, "Tank" could exit the ring as the undisputed champion of 140 pounds, adding the best chapter of undeniable boxing history to his growing legend.
When Davis and Mayweather sit down to strategize his next move, we'll see if "Tank" broaches Taylor and what comes of it.
Jose Ramirez
Perhaps "Tank" opts to get further traction at 140 pounds and if that winds up being the case, who better to test his skills against than Ramirez? Again, if the fight would get inked, it'd have Davis entering the ring with sizeable deficits to overcome, as the former unified super lightweight champion Ramirez stands 5-10 with 72 1/2 inches of reach to "Tank's" 5-5 1/2 in height and 67 1/2 inches of reach.
Ramirez can absolutely thump, as evidenced by his sixth-round TKO of Maurice Hooker in July 2019, so the mere prospects of Davis-Ramirez on paper spells fireworks that fans would tune in to see.
Ryan Garcia
By the sheer volume at which Garcia has called out "Tank" alone, this fight has to happen. It's not a matter of if, but when . The ramifications of putting young stars such as Davis and Garcia in the ring together is just too appealing for former rivals Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya to not iron out. There's too much money to be made for all.
And it would conjure plenty of questions, including: Can "Tank" detonate another explosive power display to wilt and run over Garcia? Or, will Garcia break down "Tank" with his quick hands and sizeable height and reach advantages?
This one would be huge for both fighters' profiles. But given their ages with Davis being 26 and Garcia 22, there's still plenty of time to make this clash happen. So, down the pipeline is a bit more realistic. Hopefully, though, it doesn't take too much time for it to happen.
Teofimo Lopez
The mere footage of Lopez and Davis sparring as teenagers should generate a mouthwatering prospect of these two getting into the ring someday.
During an interview with DAZN News earlier this month , Lopez said "I would assume" that a clash with "Tank" would be the fight to elevate both their careers.
"My whole thing is we can make it happen," Lopez added.
But as the unified lightweight champion thought about it some more, he expressed doubt over Mayweather allowing the bout to take place.
"However, I don't see them wanting to," Lopez said. "There's a difference. They're doing what they're doing and it looks like they're making their own route. And it's sad sometimes because it's what you guys want at the end of it all. Why I do what I do and the shows that I put on is for you guys."
With their combined firepower and skills, just imagine how explosive Lopez vs. Davis would be at this juncture of their careers.
Vasiliy Lomachenko
Lomachenko, fresh off his ninth-round TKO of Masayoshi Nakatani on Saturday night, mashed the gas pedal on urgency to cement a rematch with Lopez as soon as possible.
But in the past, the former unified lightweight champion has expressed interest in fighting Davis.
In fact, during an August 2019 Q&A session with fans, Loma did say the prospects of facing "Tank" would make for "a very interesting fight," adding "I want this fight."
During an interview with TMZ around the same time, Davis tackled the prospect as well, saying: "I think I have enough skills (to fight Lomachenko). I’m maturing as a fighter, as a person. I think it’s time."
Lomachenko's technical prowess vs. Davis' explosive power would stop boxing fans in their tracks.