- Oscar De La Hoya has confirmed real, advanced talks for Tank Davis to face Floyd Schofield in July or August 2026.
- Davis-Cruz 2 at 140lbs is still being shopped in parallel — Tank's team are essentially picking their B-side.
- Luke's pick: Tank takes Schofield, wins on points, and saves Cruz 2 for a year-end PPV. Schofield gets the platform he's been demanding for two years.
Right Then — Tank's Coming Back
Right then. After 14 months of legal noise, training-camp leaks, and "fighting next month" rumours that came to nothing, Gervonta "Tank" Davis finally has a comeback fight that smells real. Oscar De La Hoya has gone on the record over the weekend confirming that talks are at an advanced stage for Tank to face Floyd "Kid Austin" Schofield in either July or August of this year.
"I did hear he wants to fight in the third quarter of this year," De La Hoya said. Schofield's father — and trainer — Floyd Sr has been even more direct: "We may be fighting Tank in July or August." That's a lot of layers of "we may". But it's the most concrete the Davis return has sounded since the civil suit story broke last summer. Make no mistake — this fight is closer to happening than not.
The Two Names In The Hat
Tank's team have been quietly shopping two parallel routes. The one most fans wanted was a rematch with Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz at 140 pounds — a chance for Tank to test the move up in weight against the man he beat at 135 in 2021, who has since gone on to win a 140lb world title himself. That fight has been in advanced negotiation for six weeks. The Schofield route is newer but it's the one De La Hoya has now publicly endorsed.
Why? Because Schofield is Golden Boy. He's De La Hoya's fighter. He's also been agitating for this fight publicly, including a petition to the WBA last year trying to force the sanctioning body to declare Tank's lightweight title vacant. That history matters. It's also been, in Schofield's own words, the fight he's been "born to take." Promoters love a willing dance partner — and Schofield is willing.
What Tank Should Actually Do
Let's not beat around the bush. Tank should take Schofield. Here's why.
Schofield, for all his promise, is 23 years old, has 19 fights, and his best resume win is a body-shot stoppage of Keyshawn Davis last year. He's quick, he's flashy, and he's got a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas — but he hasn't been past round eight against a top-five lightweight. Tank, even rusty, even after 14 months out, is levels above a fighter at that stage of development. It's a winnable comeback fight that gets him a marketable card and a willing opponent without any of the genuine danger Cruz brings at 140.
Save Cruz for the year-end PPV. Cruz at 140 — bigger, stronger, used to weight — is a properly different proposition than Cruz at 135. The first fight at 135 was tighter than the cards suggested. Tank doesn't want to be tested at a new weight while shaking off ring rust. He wants to remind everyone what Tank Davis is, against someone he can light up on a highlight reel. Schofield offers that.
The Schofield Sell
Don't read this as me dismissing Schofield. He's been pushing for this fight publicly for two years and he's earned the shot. He's quick. His angles are awkward. His left hook is properly tasty. He's exactly the type of awkward, athletic, unproven name that can make a Tank Davis return tougher than the bookmakers expect. Tank gets hurt early in this fight, the betting line moves, and we're suddenly talking about the upset of the year.
I just don't think Tank gets hurt early. He'll be sharp, he'll be hungry to remind people who he is, and Schofield will eat a counter left hook between rounds five and seven that changes the fight. Tank by stoppage round 8 is the betting line — and it's right.
Where This Leaves Cruz, Garcia, And Stevenson
If Tank takes Schofield in July or August, the names sat downstream of that fight have to make their own moves. Cruz can take an interim 140lb title fight — the IBF have just ordered Lopez vs Delgado — and stay sharp until the Tank fight is offered to him in late 2026. Garcia is sitting on a WBC welterweight strap and a long-rumoured Stevenson fight, neither of which involves Tank directly. Stevenson is Stevenson — he'll fight at 140 next, almost certainly against Garcia, and he doesn't need Tank to make his year work.
Luke's Pick — Schofield Gets It, And Tank Wins
Tank versus Schofield, July or August, on a PBC-Prime card in Vegas or Atlanta. Tank by stoppage round 8 in a fight that's livelier than people expect for the first half. Cruz 2 gets locked in for late November or December, almost certainly at 140. Garcia versus Stevenson finds its own date. The lightweight and 140lb divisions get genuinely active again.
Tank's been gone too long. Whatever fight he comes back in, the fact he's coming back is the headline. He's still the most exciting active American fighter pound-for-pound. Boxing's better with him in it. Welcome back.