Gervonta Davis wants rival Tevin Farmer to win IBF super-featherweight title and fight him
Saturday 9 December 2017 10:37, UK
Gervonta Davis is hoping Tevin Farmer wins the vacant IBF super-featherweight title, so he can finally settle their "beef" in the ring.
Floyd Mayweather's protege, 'Tank', will be paying close attention when his American rival takes on Kenichi Ogawa, in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.
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Davis (19-0-KO18) had to give up the IBF strap after failing to make the weight for his August defence on the spectacular Mayweather-McGregor card and wants to win it back in "early 2018".
Philadelphia's Farmer (25-4-1-KO5) is the strong favourite and while he and Davis have been trading blows on social media, the Baltimore southpaw wants to make sure they finally meet in the ring.
We just aren't friends, but of course I want Tevin to win - so I can beat him.
"We've had beef for close to a year-and-a-half," Davis exclusively told Sky Sports.
"It was just him talking trash on the internet, so I fired back at him and I actually drove from [Baltimore] to Philly to try and spar him, but he was nowhere to be seen or found.
"He wasn't answering his phone but he said he wanted to fight me. Now he is saying he will only fight me on his terms, if he fights me.
"I guess he just knows I'm too good and he's just avoiding me.
"We just aren't friends, but of course I want him to win - so I can beat him. I am praying for him to win.
"I'll be so upset if he doesn't beat [Ogawa], knowing we could have a great fight in the near future, at the beginning of 2018."
Davis admits that Farmer is a "decent" fighter but sees recapturing his old title as the first step to proving he is the world's best super-featherweight.
Mayweather's protege took the belt from Jose Pedraza - who had beaten Stephen Smith - in January, beat Liam Walsh in London, then failed to make the 130lbs limit for his second defence against Francisco Fonseca.
'Tank' made it clear he learnt from his mistake and, with the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Orlando Salido in action this weekend, wants to prove he is the best out there.
"I'm staying at 130lbs, waiting for the outcome of Saturday night and the Tevin situation, and we will build from there," he said.
"He's a good fighter. I can't say he has any power, but he's decent, he has got good footwork and he knows how to wear his opponents down, but he's never faced the Tank before!
"And I definitely want the winner of Lomachenko-Rigondeaux at the right moment. I am definitely winning the fight.
"I want to get back to that spot again, the world's No 1 super-featherweight. I am hungry."
Watch Farmer vs Ogawa, as well as Smith vs Vargas, from Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action, from 3.20am, Sunday.
