Where things stand with Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and other stars from lower divisions

Over the past few years, the lower weight classes have been some of the most lucrative in boxing. Even though some of the higher weight classes have had long-awaited fights coming together, the depth of stars in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions has made these divisions consistently attractive.

The 135 and 140-pound divisions also feature a variety of unique personalities that garner attention beyond their excellent boxing skills. From Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ emergence as the face of boxing to Ryan Garcia’s quirky behavior combined with his talent to create completely unique situations, these divisions never fail to provide entertainment.

As we enter the final few months of 2024, CBS Sports boxing experts sat down to look at the current state of the top names at lightweight and junior welterweight, as well as discuss what could be next for each fighter.

Lightweight

Gervonta “Tank” Davis (WBA Lightweight Champion): Davis has established himself as the “face of boxing” alongside Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. He has done so primarily through carefully crafted matchmaking. After being elevated to full champion status after Devin Haney moved up to junior welterweight in November, Davis defended his title against Frank Martin. The Martin fight was the first world title fight for Davis since October 2020, but his style and personality have made him a bigger star than consecutive world title bouts. Davis has options to consider moving forward. Although there has been much talk of a fight with Shakur Stevenson, it seems likely that is a fight that is not going to happen until at least mid-to-late 2025, if at all, with Stevenson set to fight Joe Cordina on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol. Negotiations for a fight for Davis with Vasiliy Lomachenko fell through, leaving Denis Berinchyk the only other fighter with a world title in the weight class if Davis is in the hunt for more gold. — Brent Brookhouse

Shakur Stevenson (WBC Lightweight Champion): Whether or not the three-division champion deserved to be booed out of the building (in his hometown, no less) during a decision win over Artem Harutyunyan in July, his subsequent free agency period after his divorce from Top Rank brought forth many proponents for his prodigious boxing talent. The crafty right-winger, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, eventually signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom Sport that also made him a favorite of Turki Alashikh, who controls Saudi Arabia’s massive financial investment in the sport. Stevenson will defend his 135-pound title against Joe Cordina in October (in the co-main event of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol) with the possibility of 2025 bouts against unbeaten lightweights William Zepeda and Gervonta Davis. Stevenson’s villainization on social media following his fight with Harutyunyan also helped greatly in boosting his image, which is crucial for a high-risk opponent such as him in order to attract bigger names who can fully showcase his specific skill set. –Brian Campbell

Vasily Lomachenko (IBF Lightweight Champion): As reported, Lomachenko was in talks with Davis for a fight that fell through. This felt like karma after Davis was not interested in a fight early in his career. Lomachenko won the IBF title by defeating George Kambosos Jr. in May, his first fight since losing a very tough match to Devin Haney a year ago. When talks with Davis fell through, Lomachenko’s team said he was “not in the mood” or “motivated” for a fight at the moment and said he would return to the ring in 2025. It’s likely that what happens in the division the rest of this year will dictate Lomachenko’s options when he decides to return to action. As the biggest man at 135 pounds, Lomachenko is nearing the end of his career but still has great skills and until he shows that his skills have faded, he is a threat to beat anyone in the division. –Brookhouse

Isaac Cruz: The last five months have been terrific for “Pitbull,” whose status as a Mexican star has seen him draw fans regardless of whether he’s in the main event or not. The 26-year-old Cruz won the 140-pound title by beating Rolando Romero in March, which he later lost in an upset to the much taller and longer Jose Valenzuela in August. The good news for Cruz is that given his smaller stature, he’s more suited to lightweight, where a big-money rematch with Gervonta Davis continues to hang on the horizon, after “Pitbull,” who took the fight on late notice, pushed “Tank” the distance in a close decision in 2021. Cruz is both exciting and completely businesslike once he enters the ring and now has a large enough fan base that he could be a tempting target for any fighter in and around the 135-pound division. — Campbell

Rest of the champions: Unlike junior welterweight, which has several belts held by men who are not the top stars in the weight class, Denis Berinchyk is the only world champion who is not a well-known superstar. Berinchyk won the vacant WBO title in May with a split decision win over Emmanuel Navarrete. Berinchyk’s next move is not yet clear, but if Stevenson or Davis want to go looking for the belt, the Ukrainian is the fighter they will call. –Brookhouse

Junior Welterweight

Devin Haney (WBC junior welterweight “recess champion”): Haney is in perhaps the strangest position in boxing, as an undefeated world champion coming off a humiliating loss. Haney was beaten by Ryan Garcia after preparing for a fight in which Garcia showed nothing but discipline or general mental health. Garcia didn’t even try to cut down to 140 pounds and then missed weight after failing drug tests twice, leading to the loss. Haney is now seen as damaged goods, having risen to the top of the sport by moving to undisputed status at lightweight and earning the WBC title at junior welterweight. Despite the damage to reputation, Haney is in a position to become the unified champion at 140 pounds, with Matchroom looking to book Haney vs. IBF champion Liam Parro in December. –Brookhouse

Ryan Garcia: It’s only eight months into 2024, and 26-year-old social media superstar Garcia’s life has been full of ups and downs. He scored the biggest win of his career in April by defeating 140-pound titleholder Devin Haney, but it was declared a no contest after Garcia failed a drug test. But Garcia has sat idle after a one-year suspension, so he’s making headlines almost daily for his bitter behavior, substance abuse, and mental health challenges. Garcia said he’s delaying going into rehab to continue his world-touring tour after the fight with Haney, but he’s still become a well-known name despite the many controversies surrounding him. It’s hard to predict how seriously Garcia will take the sport when he returns in 2025. But given his recent track record of chasing big fights (including Haney and Gervonta Davis), one can expect him to take on some very big names when the time comes. However, it is more likely that these fights will take place at 147 pounds or higher, as Garcia continues to gain weight and his issues persist. — Campbell

Teofimo Lopez (WBO Junior Welterweight Champion): Lopez is as polarizing a figure as any other boxer in boxing. When he’s at his best, Lopez is an offensive dynamo. Lopez has rarely looked at his best since losing three lightweight titles to George Kambosos Jr. in November 2021. Since that loss, Lopez has put up disappointing showings against boxers like Sander Martin, Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett. That stretch included winning his current belt with a stunning win over Josh Taylor. Lopez blames his opponents rather than his own lack of skill for his poor performances — he has shown a shocking inability to get out of the ring even against basic footwork — and announces his retirement from the sport every other fight. Lopez recently tried to call out former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford for a fight, but Crawford, who recently moved up to junior middleweight, has shot down the idea. It’s unclear what’s next for Lopez, but moving up to 147 pounds could be the next step. –Brookhouse

Rolando Romero: Known to most as “Rolly,” the clown prince of boxing’s lower weight classes may not have the skill of his champion contemporaries. But he more than makes up for it with punching power and the ability to sell big fights with his unique ability on the microphone. After a devastating stoppage loss to Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in their title fight in March at 140 pounds, Romero returns in September on the pay-per-view undercard of Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga in what amounts to a “get well” bout against Manuel James. But given the tremendous star power at 135 and 140 pounds, Romero is always one win away from getting the call to play the villainous B-side, where he’ll always have a punching chance to cause chaos. Because of that, Romero is the rare boxer of this era who can fight every big name he can find. — Campbell

Rest of the champions: Alberto Puello was promoted from interim to full WBC champion when Devin Haney was named “champion in recess.” At 23-0, Puello has talent and his most recent win over Gary Antuane Russell showed the potential for him to be a real player and his title makes him an attractive opponent for the bigger names in the division, even if Haney is indeed the top dog for the WBC. As mentioned above, Liam Parro holds the IBF title and is likely to face Haney at the end of the year. Jose Valenzuela scored an upset win over Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz to win the WBA title and is now in a powerful position where he could land the biggest fight of his career as others will surely be gunning for his belt. If Lopez wants to stay at 140 pounds, a fight with Valenzuela would make sense but would be potentially very risky for Lopez. –Brookhouse