Around the Curve With Abe: The Halftime Edition

Fresh off the holiday weekend for all of us here in the U.S, the boxing world now has its eyes set on the second half of the year. While the expectations are lofty since most venues are allowing max capacity, it’s time to take a look at what’s “Around the Curve.”

Gervonta “Tank” Davis

A little over a week ago, Gervonta Davis (25-0) went up two weight classes to face then undefeated Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (26-1). Although most boxing writers felt that Davis would win, the question was whether or not his power would move up with him.

I’ve been following Gervonta Davis since 2015 and knowing what I have seen, there was never a question whether or not his power would be effective at super lightweight. Although Davis started slow and wasn’t that busy, later in the fight is when we saw Tank start to walk Barrios down while finishing the fight in the eleventh via TKO.

According to CompuBox, Gervonta Davis was more effective later in the fight.

Where does Gervonta Davis go from here? After seeing a dominating performance by WBA Interim Super Featherweight Champion Chris “Primetime” Colbert (16-0) on Saturday night, one would think he may be next. Although that is a solid fight, I think Showtime will take the “slow roll” approach with Colbert prior to setting up a big fight with Davis. Colbert did call out Leo Santa Cruz (37-2-1) after the fight so that could very well be up next for him.

So, if not Colbert, then who? If Showtime is looking to put on a PPV for Davis, the obvious choice would be to match him up against none other than Gary Russell Jr (31-1).

This fight would be a huge event in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. Whether the fight is at 130 or 135, both men would be very game for this one. Russell Jr. has been VERY vocal about fighting Davis and even had some colorful comments pointed towards Gervonta Davis as seen on this video from this past September.

Gervonta Davis recently sent out this tweet saying that he will be returning in October. If this is true, it makes all the sense in the world if we get the annual Gary Russell Jr. sighting for this card. Another fight out there for Davis is WBC Lightweight Champion Devin “The Dream “Haney (26-0).

Oct, I’m back

— Gervonta Davis (@Gervontaa) July 5, 2021

This is a fight that would draw another big crowd but in Las Vegas. It would be a great fight for both men to really break into the Las Vegas scene when it comes to boxing events. The rumor going around is that Devin Haney’s contract with Matchroom has expired, therefore, he is a free agent. So, there shouldn’t be any roadblocks or “sides of the street” issues unless things don’t get done on the business end. Let’s see if the four princes can become kings in the near future.

Ryan Garcia

This new era of boxing with social media involved has been an interesting one. There are portions of it that can be beneficial and profitable. There are also parts of it that can potentially ruin you inside if you are not careful. Ryan Garcia has mentioned that he has been going through anxiety and some other personal issues. Some have gone as far as saying he is making it up while others stand by him. Regardless, he has been out of the ring and will be looking to make his return but the question is against who?

Ryan Garcia is a needle mover. Do we see him back in the ring this year?

The biggest fight in boxing aside from Fury-Joshua is Tank vs Garcia. I really believe this fight will happen sooner than what most expect. Tank mentioned in an ESNEWS video that they had an agreement for the fight last December but decided to go different ways. It didn’t make business sense at that point because of the limited crowds but now that we are open, this talks can happen again. 2022 is when we see that fight!

Right now, I think Ryan fights the winner of Joseph Diaz vs. Javier Fortuna, which takes place on Friday in L.A. If Ryan faces the winner in the fall, it will line up the Davis super fight for the summer of next year.

Welterweights

Recently, Bob Arum, whose sound bites are gold for anyone that has an opportunity to speak to him, said that WBO Welterweight Champion Terrence “Bud” Crawford (37-0) would be returning in October on ESPN. As you look around that weight class, most of the notable names are either scheduled or penciled in for a fight. So, who could it be? The one name that Arum mentioned that is rumored to be his opponent is Jose Zepada (34-2). The suits at Top Rank quickly shut down the rumor after getting hammered on social media about it.

Jose Zepada was involved in what will go down as a classic in 2020. Can he move up and give Crawford problems?

The real question is, who else is really out there for him? Sean Porter looks to face Keith Thurman and Mikey Garcia is in advanced talks with Regis Prograis so then who? I think we do get the Jose Zepada fight or we get Jose Ramirez jumping up to welterweight to take on this big task while getting a big payday for it.

What happens after that when Crawford’s contract expires with Top Rank? I still believe Crawford moves up to 154 next year and eventually fights Spence Jr. for a title at that weight class once Jermell Charlo moves to 160 and his brother to 168. These moves will leave the likes of Vergil Ortiz and Jaron Ennis to battle it out while also throwing Josh Taylor in the mix.

Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez is enjoying life but don't sleep, he works tirelessly to maintain that top position.

Boxing’s king is enjoying life as he recently got married and has taken some time off to spend with his new wife. His team has been looking to negotiate a fight with IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant (21-0). Although there have been media headlines mentioning that Canelo wants the likes of Charlo, Beterbiev and Bivol if the Plant fight falls through, “Sweet Hands” looks at it as a negotiating tactic and feels confident things will work out in the end.

Y’all stop listening to headlines because as you see…. Don’t let social media fool you 😂 pic.twitter.com/Rc6jLizPcs

— CalebPlant (@SweetHandsPlant) July 4, 2021

If Canelo becomes undisputed, I can see a fight with Jermall Charlo at 168 taking place in May of next year and if successful, fighting Benavidez in September 2022. A Canelo victory through all of this will make him without a doubt the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. We still have plenty of interesting Canelo Alvarez fights that await us in the coming years.

Boxing is practically all the way back and we are getting a ton of fights each week. Once New York starts to book some of the bigger boxing events at the Barclays and Madison Square Garden, we will then see the big names come out. That is going to happen this year, so buckle your seat belts because this second half of the year is going to be a wild ride!

You can follow me on Twitter @abeg718 and follow @nyfights on Instagram.