Gervonta “Tank” Davis remains one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but ongoing legal troubles outside the ring have thrown his career into uncertainty. Will the three-division champion ever fight again?

Ryan Garcia is a talented fighter, blessed with elite speed and devastating power in his left hand. However, the biggest win of his career against Devin Haney was wiped away after he tested positive for a banned substance. Can Garcia finally put it all together and capture his first major world title when he challenges Mario Barrios on Feb. 21?

Andreas Hale, Nick Parkinson and James Regan tackle these questions and more on Nick Ball, Claressa Shields, Tyson Fury and the Leigh Woods-Josh Warrington rematch, separating what’s real from what’s not.

Real or not: Gervonta Davis will never fight againEditor’s Picks

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Not real. Davis has teased retirement and his lack of interest in fighting is well documented, but it’s hard to believe that he will hang up the gloves following his latest stint of legal issues. If anything, the legal issues will make it even more likely that he fights again. The reason? Money. Regardless of what you think about Davis’ desire to fight, he makes a lot of money whenever he steps into a boxing ring. He was set to earn a massive paycheck to fight Jake Paul in an exhibition in November, but Davis was accused of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress in a civil suit filed by an ex-girlfriend and the fight was cancelled.

No one knows how long he will be out of action for, but Davis is only 31 and in his physical boxing prime. Even if the desire to compete isn’t there, the anticipation for his return will certainly command a significant payday that he could find incredibly difficult to turn down. — Hale

Real or not: Tyson Fury will struggle against Arslanbek MakhmudovTyson Fury, above, is back in the ring following his (fifth) retirement in January 2025 to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11. Getty

Not real. Fury might not be at his best after 16 months out of the ring, and at times it might not be a comfortable viewing for his fans, but the former champion can still be expected to beat an opponent who has been stopped twice in his past four fights. Makhmudov, 36, is coming off a dominant decision victory over Dave Allen last October, which was probably a good enough performance for Fury’s team to select him as a comeback opponent.

Makhmudov was sent to the canvas three times with body shots by Agit Kabayel, who stopped the 6-foot-5 Makhmudov in four rounds in December 2023. Targeting the body might be something Fury also looks to do.

Guido Vianello then stopped Makhmudov due to an eye injury in August 2024, so Makhmudov does not have the most impressive form going into his biggest fight yet. But Fury has struggled with these interim fights before — he was badly cut against Otto Wallin in a warm-up for the rematch against Deontay Wilder in 2019 — and he might not be punch-perfect.

Fury, 37, goes into this fight after losing two consecutive decisions in title fights against Oleksandr Usyk, but Fury should win this fight, even if he has to go the distance. — Parkinson

Real or not: Ryan Garcia will win a world title in 2026Ryan Garcia, right, challenges Mario Barrios for his WBC welterweight world title on Feb. 21. Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images

Real. Garcia had a tumultuous 2024 and 2025, but he remains remarkably gifted with undeniable boxing skills. Say what you will about whether he was deserving to get this title fight, but there’s no question that his fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios is his best — and maybe last — opportunity at winning a world title. Garcia is undeniably more talented than Barrios, but the biggest question mark will be about his preparation.

Barrios has a blue-collar approach to boxing and uses his 6-foot height and 71-inch reach to outpoint and outwork the opposition. He’s not necessarily known as a power puncher, with his most recent knockout coming back in 2023 against journeyman Jovanie Santiago, so Garcia may not be in danger of being stopped for the second time in his career. Barrios’ past two outings weren’t standout affairs as he held on to his title with draws against a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao last July and a solid, yet unspectacular Abel Ramos in November 2024.

If Garcia is switched on, his speed and power should be enough to earn him his first world title against Barrios. We’ve waited for Garcia to reach his enormous potential, and he should find a way to leave Las Vegas with gold in his possession. — Hale

Real or not: Nick Ball will KO Brandon Figueroa to retain his WBA featherweight titleNick Ball, right, defeated Sam Goodman in August to defend his WBA featherweight title. Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Not real. The skillful, slick Ball has knocked out big opponents in the past, but two-division world champion Figueroa represents a completely different challenge. What’s more, Figueroa has never been knocked out. Ball has somewhat cruised in his past three title defenses — two stoppages — since winning the WBA featherweight belt in a decision win against Ray Ford in 2024.

Ball has said he sees his lack of height — he’s 5-foot-2 — compared to his rivals as an advantage, and the proof will come against Figueroa, who has seven inches on him. Expect Ball to get the win on home soil in Liverpool, England, in what could be an intriguing clash. But the KO might be a bridge too far against the tough Figueroa. — Regan

Real or not: Franchon Crews-Dezurn will upset Claressa Shields for the undisputed heavyweight championshipClaressa Shields, left, defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn in her first professional fight in 2016. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Not real. For all of Shields’ accomplishments (two Olympic gold medals, five-division champ and undisputed in three weight classes), we tend to overlook the fact that she’s just 30 years old and entering her boxing prime. She beat Crews-Dezurn by decision in what was both of their professional debuts almost a decade ago. Crews-Dezurn has improved, becoming an undisputed champion along the way, but Shields has improved as well. Neither should come into the ring expecting the same opponent they met in November 2016. But while Crews-Dezurn, 38, may be familiar with Shields, she’s entering a weight class that the GWOAT has resided in for the past 18 months.

There’s also the fact that Shields is widely regarded as the best women’s pound-for-pound fighter in the world. She hasn’t come close to losing and there’s nothing to suggest that she’s slowing down. Crews-Dezurn is certainly talented, but between Shields’ boxing pedigree and how she’s acclimated to the heavyweight class, this is going to be too big a mountain for “The Heavy-Hitting Diva” to climb. — Hale

Real or not: Leigh Wood will retire Josh WarringtonLeigh Wood, right, stopped Josh Warrington in Round 7 in a fight for the WBA featherweight title in 2023. Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

Real. Wood looks to be the more likely winner in this rematch, but as well as ending Warrington’s career, he could also finish his own.

Wood was losing the fight when he knocked out Warrington in Round 7 for a second defense of the WBA featherweight title in Sheffield, England, in October 2023. And after these two gave us some great nights, their rematch could end both their careers. Warrington looked like he had retired following a loss to Anthony Cacace in September 2024 when he left his gloves in the middle of the ring, and Wood recently admitted he was unsure he would fight on beyond the rematch.

Warrington, 35, has lost three of his past four fights, while Wood, 37, was stopped in his most recent fight by Cacace in Round 9 last May. It will be close, but Wood has shown he is a ruthless finisher in big fights and he could be inspired by his home support in Leeds, England. — Parkinson