Promoter Bob Arum believes lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis can become the “face of boxing” if he continues to improve steadily. Keyshawn headlines against Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-rounder this Friday, November 8th, in front of his hometown fans in Norfolk, Virginia. ESPN+ will broadcast the event live.
2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn (11-0, 7 KOs) is still a work in progress and has not been outstanding in the many recent fights that his promoters at Top Rank have put him in. Keyshawn doesn’t look like the face of boxing material.
Can Keyshawn become the face of boxing?
by Keyshawn like a clown his personality outside the ring attracts fans who want to watch him fight. Top Rank will need to protect him throughout his career as Tyson Fury was protected to prevent him from losing.
“If he continues to develop the way he has, he will be the face of boxing,” said Bob Arum to Boxing newstalking about the 25-year-old Keyshawn Davis.
If Top Rank can continue to match Keyshawn like they did Edgar Berlangathey can create an artificial star out of it. In other words, it would be a Milli Vanilli kind of star with superficial glamor but no real depth behind him unless he makes big strides in his ability.
Keyshawn has the Tyson Fury-esque personality to become an attraction outside the ring, but he hasn’t shown any of the talent that would suggest he’s capable of defeating high-level fighters at lightweight.
One would have hated to see what Gervonta Davis would do to Keyshawn if that fight happened. Keyshawn was stunned already by Nahir Albright, a non-puncher, and had a look of pure panic in his fight against Miguel Madueno.
In addition to Keyshawn being selectively hired to do the 24k gold look, he could fall apart at the seams when he looked like a real killer at 135, 140, or 147. The way Keyshawn fought against Miguel Madueno the last July when he was under pressure it was like a flashback of how he fell in the final of the 2020 Olympics against the Cuban Andy Cruz.
When Cruz put Keyshawn under pressure, they melted. We saw the same thing in Keyshawn’s recent fights against Madueno and Nahir Albright. He does not react well when pressured and is unable to mentally manage the conditions of the battlefield.
