Gervonta Davis Targets 2026 Return After WBA Stripping

Calvin Ford confirms opponent selected as Davis rebuilds career

Gervonta Davis is preparing for a 2026 return to the ring after being stripped of his WBA lightweight title. His trainer Calvin Ford says the opponent is already chosen.

The last time “Tank” fought, he went to a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025. What followed had little to do with boxing. Davis was arrested in January 2026 in South Florida on charges of battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping tied to an alleged October 2025 incident. The WBA stripped him of his lightweight title and moved him to “champion in recess” status. A planned fight with Jake Paul was canceled. The division kept moving.

Now his trainer Calvin Ford says a return is coming.

“He will be back in the mix,” Ford said on The Rize Podcast. “Tank has been doing this since he was seven years old. Sometimes you need that new start because that reset means a lot.”

That word stands out. This is not an injury return. It is not a standard layoff between fights. It is an effort to bring his career back in line after time spent outside the ring.
Ford also revealed the opponent is already chosen.

“The person I want to see him in the ring with is the one we’re going to fight,” Ford said. “That’s why I can’t say yet. I’m campaigning for it.”

That tells you this return is being managed carefully. Davis is not calling out the biggest names at lightweight. His team appears to be lining up a fight that allows him to settle back into the sport. After months of headlines tied to legal trouble, the first step looks calculated.

Davis still sells. He owns a 30-0-1 record and has won titles in three divisions. For years he was positioned as one of boxing’s most dangerous punchers. But he no longer holds a belt, and the lightweight picture has evolved in his absence. His next appearance will take place in a different atmosphere.

If Davis fights in 2026, the focus will not be on unification talk. The focus will be on whether he can restore credibility inside the ropes and keep his name tied to boxing rather than court dates. The comeback is scheduled.