Rayo Valenzuela Emerges as Frontrunner For Gervonta Davis Bout

The search for Gervonta Davis’s next opponent appears to be coming to an end…finally.

Sources tell Brunch Boxing, newly crowned WBA junior welterweight champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela has emerged as the frontrunner for a November PBC on Prime PPV bout against Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs) is riding the high of a two-fight win streak that culminated in a career-defining, August 3 victory over Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, a win that earned him his first world title and a seat at the table of potential Tank opponents.

Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs), widely regarded as one of the faces of boxing, has been searching for a worthy opponent following the unexpected withdrawal of Vasyl Lomachenko from their proposed November unification bout. Lomachenko’s sudden decision to pull out, citing a lack of motivation and a desire to spend time with family, was a move reminiscent of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown in the old Peanuts cartoon. This left Davis’s team scrambling for a new, viable opponent.

Davis’s team pivoted towards a potential unification bout with WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. However, those negotiations never gained traction, with Stevenson’s camp redirecting their focus towards a rumored bout with Joe Cordina after a self-imposed seven-day deadline to secure the Davis fight.

Now, it appears that Valenzuela has won the Tank lottery. The proposed bout comes with a significant hurdle—an immediate rematch clause owed to Pitbull Cruz. However, according to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation, Cruz is willing to forgo his immediate rematch in exchange for a prominent spot on the card and assurances that he will fight the winner, clearing the path for Valenzuela to step into the ring with Davis.

Davis is coming off a spectacular eighth-round knockout victory over bitter rival Frank Martin in a bout that electrified a packed, raucous crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He will look to duplicate that performance as he headlines another marquee event for the PBC.

The title bout would mark Davis’s third foray into the junior welterweight division. Davis previously fought Ryan García and Mario Barrios in the weight class, with both bouts ending in knockout. For Valenzuela, this would be his first defense of his junior welterweight title and his first PPV bout as a headliner.

While all signs point to the fight being on track, one source stressed that nothing is finalized yet. TGB Promotions has reportedly put a hold on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for November 2, which is believed to be the targeted date and location for the bout.