The president of the WBA Gilberto Jesus Mendoza confirmed the change, which closes a tour of more than four years to one or the other. Davis previously held a second edition of the WBA lightweight belt beginning in December 2019. He was promoted to full title in early 2024, though his time as a dominant titleholder in that capacity proved short-lived.
The WBA executive committee is now considering whether to allow a vacant lightweight fight. The hope is to keep the division from going bad, but Davis remains uncertain. Under the sign of the break, Davis maintains a special connection to the title but no longer occupies the career space necessary to anchor the heavyweight division.
Davis is currently being sought by Miami Gardens police as part of a multi-agency investigation. He is facing charges including battery, imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping, stemming from allegations that his former partner was involved in the workplace on October 27. The process of law, more than any time of fighting, now determines his short future.
The default has already been fixed in its configuration. Davis was pulled from a planned fight with Jake Paul that was scheduled for November in Miami after the event was canceled. He hasn’t fought since March 1 against Lamont Roach Jnr in Brooklyn. A planned rematch last summer never materialized, and a scheduled August pay-per-view was later canceled.
If the WBA moves forward with a vacant fight, Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi stand as the two vacant contenders. Schofield is promoted by Golden Boy, while Bahdi is in line with Major League Baseball. Both camps have expressed interest in fighting for the belt if available.
Mendoza said Davis will be allowed to present his case if more information is available. But for now, the WBA has chosen action over waiting. Given how rarely Davis has been in the ring in recent years, the belt without him feels more uncertain than inevitable.