Floyd Schofield’s team has accused Gervonta Davis of hiding behind his WBA Champion in Recess status and ducking the mandatory challenger at lightweight. The Schofield camp says Davis should be forced back into the ring at 135 pounds instead of taking a catchweight tune-up.
The dispute comes after the WBA named Davis its Champion in Recess for the lightweight belt in January 2026, a move tied to his legal challenges, including allegations of battery, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Schofield was described as the clear mandatory challenger, while reports said Davis was negotiating a secondary rematch with Isaac Cruz, a situation the Schofield camp called a duck.
Schofield’s side is now pressing the WBA to deny Davis any tune-up bouts that would let him return at a higher weight before facing the mandatory. Floyd Schofield Sr. said Davis was walking around at about 175 pounds and insisted the champion would have to come all the way back down to 135 if he wanted to keep the title picture on track.
That push lands after Davis has been out of action since March 2025, when he fought Lamont Roach Jr. to a controversial majority draw. The pause has only sharpened the argument over whether the WBA’s recess designation should shield Davis from the division’s top challenger or force him to defend the belt where he won it.
Schofield Sr. said there was a reason Davis said, “I will never get in the ring with that kid,” and a reason his coach went online to say the same thing. For now, the fight is not just about who Davis faces next. It is about whether the WBA lets him re-enter the division on his own terms or makes him answer the mandatory call at 135 pounds.