Shakur Stevenson steps into the spotlight by moving up to super lightweight, preparing to face Teofimo Lopez for the WBO title. Their clash at Madison Square Garden in January promises to test Stevenson's mettle against Lopez's genuine challenge.
Prominent figure [Paulie Malignaggi](https://www.boxingscene.com/) recently labeled Stevenson as a future "face of boxing" while taking shots at Davis' choice of competition. Malignaggi elaborates on how Davis seems content facing what he called "truck drivers" rather than stepping into the ring with top-tier adversaries like Stevenson.
Malignaggi stressed that fans should refrain from criticizing Stevenson if setbacks occur since he's tackling risks that Davis tends to sidestep. Criticism of Davis isn't new; past accusations involved choosing smaller opponents like Lamont Roach Jr., whom he narrowly defeated, yet refused a rematch.
Meanwhile, Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz praised Roach and pushed for their own rematch following a majority draw, asserting, "I'm not Gervonta Davis. I'm ready for a rematch right away." Both Cruz and Roach emerged as formidable foes for Davis, yet neither got a chance at redemption in the ring.
Despite their advances in the boxing world, stars in their division continue building resumes while Davis remains idle due to events outside of the ring like legal issues involving his ex-girlfriend throwing cold water on his proposed fight with Jake Paul. As criticism heightens around his moves and motivations, it leaves fans pondering whether Davis will step up or stay silent amid swirling challenges from competitors determined to take center stage.