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“This guy is so scared” – Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’ pricey terms for potential Saudi Arabia showdown triggers mixed reactions from fans

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Gervonta Davis

Amid fight negotiations, Gervonta Davis has named his price to fight in Saudi Arabia.

Responding to a fan comment on social media, Davis claimed that the Saudi Arabian representatives would need to incentivize him to fight there. He jokingly claimed that he would require two Ferraris from the nation to compete on their land.

Though Davis did not tweet Saudi advisor Turki Alashikh by name, many assumed the post was a message to him.

Gervonta Davis

Davis did not state what Alashikh or the Saudi Arabian government did to upset him but seemed to imply that he has no intentions of ever traveling to the country to box.

Fan reactions ranged with some in support of Davis with others criticizing the champion for his refusal. As fans have quickly realized, Saudi Arabia has become a staple of boxing due to the nation’s recent string of hosting major events.

Some fans even concluded that Davis was scared to leave the United States.

Many fans who chose to comment appeared to believe that the recently-committed Muslim did not want to fight Devin Haney.

Other fans commented:

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BOXING

Gervonta Davis lays down demands for Saudi Arabia discussions

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Gervonta Davis

Gervonta Davis has revealed what it would take for discussions with Saudi Arabia to begin following an admission by its Sports Chairman.

Turki Alalshikh recently stated the region would like to bring “Tank” over to his country alongside long-time rival and former undisputed champion Devin Haney.

Speaking to DAZN, Turki said: “I want him [Gervonta Davis]. I am sending a message now from you to [Al] Haymon. Let’s do a job, brother.

“But Haney, I want to see Haney in my country [too]. I am sending messages from you now to him. I will try to do it in 2024. Of course, we want him [to fight] in my country [of Saudi Arabia].”

Gervonta Davis makes Saudi Arabia demand

Davis got wind of the intentions. And while fans of Premier Boxing Champions stated Davis would never accept the money, the WBA lightweight champion made a tongue-in-cheek request.

“They made me mad. If they want me, they must send something to my front door, like two Ferraris or something!

Gervonta Davis

“Like before I even think about going over there,” he added.

Despite the demand, which wouldn’t be a problem for Alalshikh to arrange, any move by Davis could damage the United States’ grip on boxing.

All the significant Pay Per View events worldwide, outside the heavyweight division, occur stateside. Davis sold 1.3 million PPVs against Ryan Garcia, which would prove challenging if they shifted that fight to Riyadh Season.

There’s also the gate to consider. US fans would unlikely accept traveling to Saudi Arabia and paying upmarket prices. Therefore, it seems a non-starter for a massive event.

Gate receipts

Davis vs Garcia raked in $22.8 million in gate receipts, something Saudi Arabia couldn’t offer. They could pay that kind of money upfront, which is the only way Davis would accept an offer.

A minor event, potentially a mandatory title defense, would be possible. But that depends entirely on Al Haymon’s willingness to give up control of the narrative.

Haymon is a savvy businessman. He would know that the USA would be threatened if its top fighters began moving overseas. Saudi Arabia already has the glamor heavyweight division on lockdown.

Adding the world’s Pound for Pound American stars would be a kick in the teeth for the loyal boxing fans.

March 30 is currently on the table for Haymon’s first fight under the Amazon Prime Video banner. It’s yet to be announced whether Davis will be the headliner.

The two-weight world champion recently returned to training while waiting for a judge to allow him to move outside his home state. It follows a 2023 jail sentence for his part in a hit-and-run three years earlier.

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BOXING

Terence Crawford trainer reveals Tim Tszyu the ‘right one’ for pound-for-pound star’s next fight

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Terence Crawford

Three-weight world champion Terence Crawford (40-0) is reportedly looking at making a fight with WBO super welterweight titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-0).

According to Crawford’s trainer, Bernie Davis, the undefeated 36-year-old is eyeing off a world title in a fourth division, with Australia’s Tszyu at the top of his hitlist.

Tszyu, 29, announced himself to the world with victories over Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, seeing him elevated to world champion with the WBO after Jermell Charlo was stripped of the belt, before defending the title against Brian Mendoza in a busy 2023.

Terence Crawford

Crawford had seemingly been waiting for a contracted rematch with Errol Spence to be arranged, although the latter’s recent cataract surgery has sidelined those plans, while some have been calling for “Bud” to take on Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a welterweight unification bout.

Tim Tszyu the ‘right one’ for Terence Crawford’s next fight

Speaking on MillCity Boxing, Davis said a fight with Sydneysider Tszyu was currently the frontrunner.

“I think Tszyu will be the right one since we can’t get Spence,” Davis said.

“We want to move up and still make history, still have something to get up for and even though ‘Boots’ is an attractive option, I think Tszyu just edges him a little bit.

“I think Tszyu fought the better competition, I think he’s been looking more spectacular in his fights and he got the country [Australia] behind him.

“Plus, he has something that we want. It’s another weight class to jump and it’s another something to aspire to.

“So that’s where I would think we would land.”

Sporting News can confirm the interest in a fight with Crawford is also concrete on Tszyu’s side, although the Aussie will likely have at least one fight before then.

Davis also poured cold water over possible matchups with Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez, while adding he’d like to see Jermell Charlo “get himself together” before a possible bout with Crawford.

“This guy Tszyu’s coming off some big wins,” he said.

“Beating Mendoza who was coming off a big win and is kind of a seasoned fighter, he been at the world level and Tszyu got the country behind him, been looking good technically, been looking better every fight… and he got the belt.”

Erickson Lubin reportedly withdraws from negotiations with Tim Tszyu

Tszyu is currently attempting to line up a bout in Las Vegas in late March, but it won’t be against former world title challenger Erickson Lubin after he dropped out of negotiations, according to Main Event‘s Ben Damon.

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BOXING

Tyson Fury sparring partner leaves after just five rounds ahead of Oleksandr Usyk fight

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tyson fury and oleksandr usyk

Former cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia has left Tyson Fury’s training camp after sparring just five rounds with the Brit.

Opetaia will fight Mairis Briedis on the undercard of Fury’s undisputed heavyweight world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk next month. He has also been part of Fury’s team in Saudi Arabia but the 28-year-old has returned to Australia due to a lack of orthodox sparring.

Fury has prioritised southpaw sparring ahead of his clash with ‘lefty’ Usyk and has been based in the Middle East since shortly after Christmas. He and Usyk will meet in the ring on February 17 as they attempt to crown the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

A statement from Opetaia’s promoter read: “Jai Opetaia has recently returned from Saudi Arabia where he sparred and trained with Tyson Fury. They were fantastic, competitive rounds and an incredible experience for Jai. However any talk of either boxer being dropped is not true. Jai is now back in Australia finalising his preparation to defend his world title and cannot wait to do so in Saudi Arabia.”

Fury enters a fight billed as ‘Ring of Fire ’ on the back of last year’s fraught split decision victory over former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, who was making his boxing debut. But he is confident he can deliver an improved performance. “I’m going to bust him up. Sausage. Ugly little man. Rabbit. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,” Fury said.

Oleksandr Usyk

“You know what’s coming? You’re getting smashed to pieces, sausage. You’re fighting the best British heavyweight there’s ever been. You’ve beaten the rest of them, but you haven’t beaten Tyson Fury, sausage.

“You can never beat me. If you beat me in your dreams you better wake up and apologise. I stole that from Muhammad Ali, I apologise. When you sleep at night ugly man you’re going to think of me for the next eight weeks. I’m going to punch your face in. You ugly little man.”

With his verbal attack on the Ukrainian over, Fury talked up the quality of a contest between two outstanding boxers who posses skill and warrior spirit in equal measure, even if he thinks Usyk will struggle because of his size.

“We’re both undefeated. He’s a champion, I’m a champion. It’s going to be a fight for the ages,” Fury said. “It’s been 24 years since we’ve had an undisputed champion. The Klitschkos were champions for around 10 years, so there’s been 14 years when the other heavyweights couldn’t do it.

“We’ve both been chosen and there can only be one winner. I’m going to become the undisputed champion. More than that, I’m destined to cement my legacy as the number one fighter of this era.

“To do that I’ve got to beat this little man, which is easier said than done because he’s a tricky boxer, slick and all of that. But I’ve seen many like him before and when they fight the big men, they struggle. And he will struggle on February 17. I will break him.

“He’s a middleweight, but it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog and he’s obviously got a lot of fight in him. But when you meet a big man who is a lot bigger but also has the fight inside him, let’s put it in a nutshell – you’re f****d.”

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BOXING

‘Not true’ – Tyson Fury’s former world champion sparring partner Jai Opetaia denies knockdown rumours after leaving Oleksandr Usyk camp having done just five rounds

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Jai Opetaia’s co-promoters have put out a statement to deny that he floored Tyson Fury in sparring.

Australia’s Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion is set to fight Mairis Briedis to regain his IBF world title on the undercard of Fury’s undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.

As a result, he was recruited to join the Gypsy King’s camp in Saudi Arabia with many fans excited by the prospect.

Opetaia is widely regarded as the world’s best and most destructive cruiserweight today, and the southpaw remains unbeaten despite being controversially stripped of his IBF belt late last year.

Due to the fact Usyk is a former undisputed cruiserweight king, and also a southpaw, the Australian was viewed as the perfect sparring partner to prepare Fury for the Ukrainian.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

However, the pairing hasn’t worked out as Opetaia has left the camp already.

It’s reported that he did just five rounds with Fury before heading back home.

According to Australian journalist and commentator Ben Damon of Fox Sports Australia and Main Event TV, this was due to ‘a lack of orthodox sparring in Fury’s camp’.

Rumours have been rife on social media in response, with some claiming to have heard that Opetaia knocked Fury down and that this is the true reason he has left the camp.

However, on Monday, his Australian co-promoters Tasman Fighters put out a statement to deny this.

It read: “Jai Opetaia has recently returned from Saudi Arabia where he sparred and trained with Tyson Fury.

“They were fantastic, competitive rounds and an incredible experience for Jai.

“However any talk of either boxer being dropped is not true.

“Jai is now back in Australia finalising his preparation to defend his [Ring] title and cannot wait to do so in Saudi Arabia.”

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BOXING

Jai Opetaia Leaves Tyson Fury’s Training Camp After Sparring Just 5 Rounds

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JaI Opetia

Cruiserweight sensation Jai Opetaia was recognised by some as the perfect sparring partner to Tyson Fury when his fight with Oleksandr Usyk was announced.

The 28-year-old southpaw won the IBF World Title from Mairis Briedis in 2022, fighting through a broken jaw to take a unanimous decision.

He defended the belt once – a fourth round stoppage of Jordan Thompson – before being forced to vacate when he had a fight with Ellis Zorro lined up because the sanctioning body would only accept the Briedis rematch. Opetaia produced a highlight-reel knockout against Zorro in the first round.

His slick lefty stance and potential as a heavyweight in the future led Fury’s team to get in touch for sparring before the Usyk bout – the current unified champion after winning all four belts down at 200lbs.

Opetaia grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and was then manoeuvred to have his second fight with Breidis on the same card, giving him the chance to win back the now-vacant IBF belt as well as defend his Ring Magazine title.

Tyson Fury

Whilst the match-up bolsters his career, it has now been revealed that it has shortened his learning experience with ‘The Gypsy King.’

Ben Damon of FOX Sports Australia now reports that, after just five rounds of work, Opetaia has left the camp in order to pursue more orthodox sparring in preparation for his own fight.

Social media rumours immediately began to suggest that one man had hurt the other, but that has been confirmed as false by Opetaia’s team.

Opetaia-Briedis and Fury-Usyk land on February 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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BOXING

Former World Champion Says Usyk Is Too Small And Careful To Beat Tyson Fury

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury 1

Tyson Fury will have around five inches and height, 50lbs in weight and seven inches in reach on Oleksandr Usyk when they meet in the most anticipated heavyweight match-up in some years.

Whilst Usyk has adapted well to the heavyweight division since his four-belt run at cruiserweight, Sergio More believes going in against the self-proclaimed ‘behemoth’ is a step too far.

Speaking on DAZN, former middleweight champion Mora said Fury is too big for Usyk.

‘The Latin Snake’ pointed out that he was more impressed by Fury’s wins in the division than Usyk’s.

Finally, Mora gave the style advantage to Fury to cement his prediction.

Either Fury or Usyk will be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion on February 17.

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BOXING

Nick Dunlap follows in Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s footsteps but won’t win seven-figure prize money

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Nick Dunlap became the first amateur PGA Tour winner in 33 years, but had to miss out on the seven-figure prize.

The 20-year-old college student beat Christiaan Bezuidenhout at The American Express by one shot for one of the most remarkable results golf has seen

With the victory, Dunlap becomes the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991, and he also takes the record as the first reigning U.S. Amateur champ to win on the Tour since Tiger Woods in 1996.

Ending up -29 under par at La Quinta Country Club in California, the Alabama native became the youngest winning amateur since 1910, and he burst into tears with his hands on his head after securing victory.

Dunlap’s parents were quickly on the green to celebrate with him, and his mother Charlene looked utterly delighted at her son’s rise to fame.

However, any hopes of an instant payday for the family were quickly dashed by a harsh rule.

in a long time.

Phil Mickelson

As an amateur, Dunlap was ineligible for the £1.18million prize money, which instead went to runner-up Bezuidenhout.

The only amateur on a 156-player field, Dunlap also missed out on 500 FedEx Cup points, but there were some other perks.

The youngster has PGA Tour exemption through until 2026, and he will also have exemptions to the Masters and PGA Championship if he turns professional.

Speaking still red-faced and full of tears, Dunlap said: “Nothing like I’ve ever felt.

“It was so cool to be out here and experience this as an amateur. Whether I had made that or missed that, if you would have told me Wednesday night I would have a putt to win this golf tournament, I wouldn’t believe you.

“I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That’s golf.”

Mickelson, the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour was quick to send his congratulations, writing on social media: “Such an impressive performance by Nick Dunlap.

“Congratulations on an incredible win. This is just the beginning.”

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BOXING

Tyson Fury left red-faced as sparring partner lifts lid on Francis Ngannou camp

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Tyson Fury’s sparring partner Sol Dacres has refuted claims that ‘The Gypsy King’ didn’t prepare properly for his crossover clash with Francis Ngannou – suggesting the only reason Fury struggled to a controversial victory was because of how good Ngannou is. After an underwhelming split decision over his novice foe, Fury’s father John insisted that his son simply hadn’t done enough conditioning and that was why it was such a close fight.

“He didn’t look right, everything had changed about him, his demeanour, his body. I was puzzled. He said he had been training but there is training and there is training,” Fury Sr. told the Metro via Freebets.com.

“If you’re going at your own pace no one is going to tell you otherwise, no one is going to offend you or kick you up the backside.” But Dacres, who was in camp with Fury for five weeks in the lead-up to fight night, claims this was not the case.

Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou

“He didn’t look right, everything had changed about him, his demeanour, his body. I was puzzled. He said he had been training but there is training and there is training,” Fury Sr. told the Metro via Freebets.com.

“If you’re going at your own pace no one is going to tell you otherwise, no one is going to offend you or kick you up the backside.” But Dacres, who was in camp with Fury for five weeks in the lead-up to fight night, claims this was not the case.

“John wasn’t really in the camp. It’s all good saying it in hindsight. I was there for five weeks. We were sparring hard, doing 12, 15 round sessions,” he told Seconds Out ahead of his upcoming English heavyweight title defence against David Adeleye on March 16th.

“I’ve been in previous camps and he was training just as hard as previous camps so it’s hard to say. It’s really more on him than anything. The training camp was preparing for a 12-round fight.”

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BOXING

Tyson Fury offers first glimpse into gruelling training camp for Usyk fight before taking time out to meet Kevin Costner

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Tyson Fury

TYSON FURY has given boxing fans their first glimpse at his secret Saudi training camp for the biggest fight of his career.

The Gypsy King will bid to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in over 25 years in Riyadh next month when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury, 35, has essentially gone radio silent ahead of the historic and career-defining showdown.

Unlike camps of yesteryear, Fury isn’t regularly taking to social media to give fans updates.

But he’s broken his mini blackout over the last few days to give his followers some insight into what he’s been doing.

Taking to his Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, the WBC heavyweight champion shared a clip of himself and his team getting a training session in at the gym.

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