Keyshawn Davis reiterated that he won't fight his friend Shakur Stevenson, but is open to an exhibition match, “YouTube style.” He says people will want to watch him and Shakur fight in an exhibition after they clean up the 135 and 140 lb divisions.
Excuse for “exhibition”.
In order for fans to be interested in watching an exhibition match between Keyshawn and Shakur, they should become popular among casual boxing fans. Unfortunately, neither is fighting quality opposition to gain attention.
WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is routinely booed by fans in his fights, and Keyshawn has been selectively matched by his promoters at Top Rank throughout his three-year pro career.
Keyshawn (12-0, 8 KOs) is massive for the 135 lb division, and will need to step up soon as he looks like a cooked welterweight for his lightweight fights. He is scheduled to challenge WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) on February 14, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Berinchyk is considered the weakest link among the champions at 135, which explains why Keyshawn is up against him. He is the only one he is capable of defeating. Even then, this is a 50-50 toss-up because Berinchyk is technically the much better fighter.
The only thing Keyshawn has going for him is his youth, big time welterweight frameand he is the A-side. The last item might be enough for Keyshawn to win. If Keyshawn had to fight where he belonged at 147, he would face it, he would face Jaron 'Boots' Ennis and he would get punched through him.
I don't know how on earth Keyshawn can melt down from the welterweight division. Younger fighters can wear themselves out without getting hurt, but eventually they can't do it anymore when they get into their late 20s and early 30s. Until then, they are playing the system. If every sanctioning body had strict 10lb rehydration limits, you'd be eliminated weight bullies.
“When the time is right”
“They keep asking me to fight you. We can make an exhibition; that's what we can do,” said Keyshawn Davis on social mediatalking about fans wanting him to fight his friend, Shakur Stevenson.
“We can go YouTube style on these guys very quickly. Who won't watch that? He will still see the exhibition. Will watch it again. We're going to do a showcase with those fools when the time is right and I'll let you know when the time is right,” Keyshawn continued about wanting to do a showcase with Shakura. “You'll say, 'Yes.'
“We're going to expose these whores and increase the weight, and then we're going to do the same thing. We are about to clear the (light) category and move up in weight. How angry are you?
“Man and Shakur will beat everybody. We just win everything, increase the weight and never fight. Then, do it all over again at 140. That would be funny f***. Defeat all your favorite fighters. They're going to be sick as hell,” Davis said.
Keyshawn isn't going to win it all at 135, and neither is his friend Shakur. Look at the way Keyshawn picks his opponents. He is NOT going after any of these talented fighters:
– Raymond Muratalla
– Andy Cruz
– William Zepeda
– Edwin De Los Santos
It's likely that Keyshawn, 25, will leave the 135 lb division soon without even trying to fight any of those guys because the chances of him losing would be too great. He was nearly beaten by Nahir Albright last year on October 14th. Albright staggered Keyshawn and dominated him in the final four rounds, wearing him down with pressure like Andy Cruz did in the 2020 Olympics.
The myth of the “Top 3”.
“The fans already know that the top three dogs have the same idea of who the top three dogs are in the 135 lb. division. I'm fine with them putting me in that division at 12-0,” Keyshawn said, believing he's one of the top three fighters in the lightweight division.
“The best players at 135 pounds are fair-skinned (Gervonta 'Tank' Davis,' me and Shakur, period,” Keyshawn said. The best players at 135 pounds. Come on, bro. Call a spade a spade.
Keyshawn is way ahead of himself when it comes to being a top three lightweight as he still hasn't beaten a single opponent in the 135lb division.
He isn't even close to being a top three lightweight fighter as he would need to defeat the competition to reach that level. Keyshawn has not fought any opponents. Top Rank was protecting him the same way Edgar Berlanga was when he was with that company.
Keyshawn's best wins
– Gustavo Lemos: He is not a competitor, he comes after a defeat
– Miguel Madueno: non-competitor of the second league
– Nahir Abright: the same
– Jose Pedraza: 0-2-1 record entering the fight
– Anthony Yigit: Non-contender
He's doing a great job against a small, exhausted welterweight Gustavo Lemoswho was coming off a loss to Richardson Hitchins and had to come down from 140 to fight Keyshawn on November 8th.
Why did Keyshawn choose a short guy, Lemos, who fights at 140, as his opponent, after the loss? I have a pretty good idea. This was pure old fashioned cherry picking. When a fighter chooses someone from an upper division to squeeze out to fight him, it is to gain an advantage because the guy is weakened. It's insidiousbut it works.
Casual fans or those without critical thinking skills are impressed and can't put two and two together to realize they've been duped. Keyshawn could fight his four-time conqueror, Cuba Andy Cruzwho beat him in the final of the 2020 Olympics and calls him “my son”. Cruz volunteered to fight Keyshawn, but chose Lemos. What does that tell you?
