Lomachenko sees Gervonta Davis fight as not worthy of PPV

By Boxing News - 04/25/2018 - Comments

Image: Lomachenko sees Gervonta Davis fight as not worthy of PPV

By Jim Dower: Former IBF super featherweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis believes that a fight between himself and Vasyl Lomachenko should be on pay-per-view. However, that’s not how Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) feels about it.

Lomachenko states that the 23-year-old Davis has never even fought in a main event before, so it doesn’t make sense for him to be talking about a fight against him on pay-per-view.

Lomachenko was surprised this week when he heard news of Davis (20-0, 19 KOs) wanting to fight him, because when the two of them were both fighting at super featherweight at the same time, there was no interest from the Baltimore native.

“I read he wants the fight, only on PPV. What are you talking about? You’ve never had a main event, you fight only co-main. What kind of a PPV is that going to be?” Lomachenko said.

It’s crazy for Davis to go from fighting on undercards to battling Lomachenko in a main event on PPV. It wouldn’t sell. Davis needs to start fighting in main events against good opponents before he starts calling out guys like Lomachenko. As long as Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions and ESPN are on board, Davis and Lomachenko can fight on ESPN PPV, but it likely won’t bring in a lot of PPV buys.

Lomachenko’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank would still make a fight between him and Davis if there’s serious interest from him and his promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. in making that fight. However, it wouldn’t be a PPV worthy card on ESPN. If Top Rank makes Lomachenko-Davis on ESPN PPV, very few boxing fans will likely purchase the card, and it means that neither fighter’s popularity will grow much unless Top Rank and Mayweather Promotions chooses to televise the replay of the fight on free ESPN a week later. If they don’t do that, then it’s quite possibly only a tiny number of fans will see the fight.

Lomachenko will be fighting for a world title in his fight date against World Boxing Association World lightweight champion Jorge Linares (44-3, 27 KOs) on May 12 on ESPN at Madison Square Garden in New York. If Lomachenko wins that fight, then he wants to battle WBC World lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (38-0, 30 KOs) in a unification fight. By that time, Mikey will likely be the IBF/WBC lightweight champion, as he’s said to be fighting IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter Jr. next. Mikey will likely be a huge favorite to beat Easter Jr.

“I want this fight. I like a challenge, Mikey is a big challenge for me and I want this fight. It will be a historical fight,” Lomachenko.

Mikey has the better hand speed and punching power than Lomachenko. Mikey’s punching power should be a lot more devastating at lightweight than it was in his last two fights at light welterweight against Sergey Lipinets and Adrien Broner. Mikey was unable to hurt either of those two fighters with his power shots.