Boxing Matches That Should Have Been Made By Now
2023 promised much for boxing, with fans hoping that some mega fights would finally come to fruition, and yet, this hasn’t been the case.
Gervonta Davis Vs. Ryan Garcia
Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia’s potential fight would be a pay-per-view event at 136 pounds. However, there have been a few snags. Davis is due to appear in court today in relation to a hit-and-run incident from November last year.
According to reports, he is charged with 14 offenses, including not returning and staying at the scene after causing bodily harm.
‼️ Gervonta Davis has been arrested and jailed overnight, charged with battery causing bodily harm in an alleged domestic violence incident. He‘s due to face Hector Luis Garcia on Jan 7th and also due for trial on Feb 16th facing 14 charges from alleged hit-and-run in 2020. pic.twitter.com/uTIUlF2NI4
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) December 28, 2022
Additionally, he was arrested in December and accused of slapping a woman with a closed fist. On top of that, both sides have not been able to negotiate a rematch clause to satisfy all promoters, networks and fighters.
However, provided Davis doesn’t do any time behind bars, there is still optimism that the fight will happen.
Tyson Fury Vs. Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury’s promoters are in danger if they remain persistent in having the Oleksandr Usyk bout at Wembley Stadium in London on April 29th, 2023 as opposed to Saudi Arabia.
Both fighters will be looking for a substantial guarantee, and unfortunately, the ticket sales and pay-per-view purchases might not be enough to meet the financial expectations of Fury and Usyk.
Usyk Promoter Responds to Fury's Demands: This Is Sports; Go to Hollywood If You Want That Kind of Money https://t.co/6i1wwF3mAo pic.twitter.com/KgDSqoykTm
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) February 15, 2023
Reports suggest Fury wants a bigger purse if the fight is held in London, while Usyk is refusing to back down from a 50-50 split since he is the unified champion with three belts.
Devin Haney Vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko
According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, if Vasiliy Lomachenko is to get the chance to battle the undefeated Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) for the undisputed lightweight titles, the 34-year-old will need to give up some of the money that he was aiming to make from the fight.
The exact amount of money that Haney is asking for is yet to be revealed. If Lomachenko declines to do so, Haney may have to back down or switch opponents, maybe fighting Isaac Cruz or Shakur Stevenson instead.
If the money issue is fixed, Haney has shown he is willing to fight anyone. After all, he fought George Kambosos Jr twice for the undisputed titles in Australia.
Errol Spence Jr Vs. Terence Crawford
Discussions between Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are looking fruitless, with a fight looking unlikely. Mike Coppinger has stated that Spence’s (28-0, 22 KOs) most probable next opponent is Keith Thurman at 154.
Boxing fans have lost hope for a Spence-Crawford match for some time now, and it would be sensible for PBC to accept that this matchup is no longer viable.
Even though 2023 is still in its infancy, the year has the potential to be a defining one for the sport, more so than any other in recent memory.