Keyshawn Davis predicts that he will be the “Face of Boxing” and a multi-world champion and millionaire in five years. Unfortunately, 2020 Olympic silver medalist Davis (11-0, 7 KOs) hasn’t shown the talent that suggests he’ll be either of those things.
In his two toughest fights in the pro ranks against Miguel Madeuno and Nahir Albright, Keyshawn has shown a weakness for handling pressure. These flaws kept Keyshawn in the amateurs, causing him to lose repeatedly to Andy Cruz of Cuba. Keyshawn gets stressed out when pressured and falls apart mentally.
In five years, the 5’9″ Keyshawn, huge for the lightweight division, will no longer be able to break out of welterweight. He will be forced to fight at 147, where he should be now, and will not be able to compete against the more talented Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Davis is headlining against light welterweight contender Gustavo Lemos (28-1, 19 KOs) on November 8 at the Scopes Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
“First, I’ll be a millionaire,” Keyshawn Davis said Top Rank Boxing when asked where he will be in five years. “I’ll be a world champion, for sure. Multi-world champion by then. I see myself. Also, in five years, I think I’ll be the face of boxing. I’m dead serious. I think I’m walking down that road now.”
It is highly doubtful that Keyshawn can become a millionaire without beating notable world champions such as Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, or Vasily Lomachenko. However, Keyshawns chances of fighting any of these three are slim. None of those guys are going to beat him before he gets over the lightweight division.
- Vasily Lomachenko: Loma is on the brink of retirement and is not wasting his time on a newcomer to the sport like Keyshawn, who has no real fan base outside of Virginia.
- Gervonta Davis: Tank is with PBC and is very selective in who he does.
- Shakur Stevenson: Close friend with Keyshawn.
“Selling a fight like that, I changed the whole narrative of myself,” Keyshawn said of his down-and-dirty performance against Miguel Madueno on July 6. “I’m like, ‘Damn, this kid can fight any of these guys out there.’
I don’t know how Keyshawn can be proud of how he wrestled against Madueno last July because it was an embarrassing performance for him. He was in panic mode, trying to deal with Madueno’s pressure. Keyshawn said he used roughhouse tactics to stop the pressure.
“I’m 11-0. In another five years, maybe ten more fights, 13 more fights. That’s going to be crazy by the time I’m 20-something and 0. I think I’ll definitely be the Face of Boxing or right there. I think so.
“You have Canelo, you have Terence, you have Gervonta, and you have Inoue. All of these guys are considered the Face of Boxing. We have our own path to get there. Il ne s’agit que d’arriver là.”
Keyshawn sounds disconnected from reality because she is not destined to become the Face of Boxing. However, he is headed for tough times after being forced to move up to 147 and facing predators in that division, who are taking advantage of his inability to handle pressure. Keyshawn fights when pressed and always has.
“Me against Vasily Lomachenko. I feel like I’m going to push him back most of the time. I’m faster, faster, and I’m stronger. I feel like he’s not as good for go back as well as go forward.I have got the size and all the attributes to do this.
“I thought I was going to stop him because I had the power. Look at my last fight. I hurt the guy (Madueno) with a hook, and he was reeling. I got that shot to get you out of there,” Keyshawn said.
In five years, Keyshawn could be in and out if he continues to perform like he did in his last fight against Miguel Madueno. He struggled badly under Madueno’s pressure and turned the fight into a wrestling match.
I will never know how the referee didn’t disqualify Keyshawn because it looked like he should have been DQ’d for the WWE tactics he was using. In an oddity, WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. he fights on the undercard rather than the main event.
Keyshawn is selling tickets, so due to his uncertain future, he is in the headliner rather than the undercard, where he belongs. He hasn’t shown the kind of talent that would indicate he can win a world title.
It is unclear why Lemos is forced to drop from 140 to take this fight to 135 rather than Top Rank choosing Keyshawn’s old nemesis, Andy Cruz of Cuba, as his opponent.
Could he be worried about Keyshawn losing to Cruz again? Cruz beat Keyshawn four times in the amateurs and made it look easy.
Top Rank is putting money into the career of 25-year-old lightweight contender Keyshawn, hoping he can make it in the pro ranks after Cruz beat him in the 2020 Olympics final.
They will soon decide what to do with him. In his fight against Nahir Albright last October, he looked terrible when Top Rank gave up a small step.
Albright defeated Keyshawn in the grappling round and swept the final four rounds of the fight. This fight was a red flag that Keyshawn is not what some thought he would be.
