Keyshawn Davis. Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc by way of Getty Photos
Not for the reason that days of Pernell Whitaker has there been a boxing occasion of this magnitude to hit The Scope Area in Norfolk, Virginia.
At simply 25 years outdated, Keyshawn Davis wasn’t round to see “Candy Pea” pack the most important enviornment within the “Mermaid Metropolis,” however he’s heard loads of tales of all the metropolis popping out to help their boxing star. The Boxing Corridor of Famer fought there ten occasions – along with quite a lot of different occasions across the Hampton Roads space – and now the 2020 Olympic silver medalist turned light-weight contender is hoping to start out a practice of his personal there.
Davis (11-0, 7 knockouts) will face Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) within the ten spherical important occasion on Friday, Nov. 8 at The Scope, with the bout to air stay on ESPN+.
Davis says the one earlier occasions he had attended at The Scope had been the Christmas highschool basketball video games, the place his highschool staff can be in motion and so would Davis, chatting with women from across the space. Now he’s set to be the primary attraction.
“The vibe is loopy. The day they dropped the tickets, they had been tenting exterior the field workplace at 4 a.m. to get the tickets like Jordans are about to drop. The town goes loopy behind this,” Davis advised The Ring in a video interview.
Keyshawn received’t be the one Davis on the cardboard, nonetheless. His older brother Kelvin Davis (13-0, 7 KOs) will face Yeis Solano (15-3, 10 KOs) in an eight spherical junior welterweight bout, whereas his youthful brother, 2024 U.S. Olympic trials champion Keon Davis will make his professional debut in a 4 spherical welterweight bout towards Jalen Moore (1-1, 1 KO).
Collectively, the brothers kind a collective they name “DB3”. Whereas Keyshawn and Kelvin have fought many occasions on the identical playing cards, each beginner {and professional}, Keyshawn has by no means gotten to combat on the identical card as his 23-year-old brother, which is an added perk for this occasion.
“For DB3 the Davis brothers to be bringing it again to the city and simply reflecting on the final time he did it which is 30 years. It’s like man, we’ve gotta do it as large or greater so we’ve gotta attain out to as a lot folks as he did, youngsters, households, to let the folks know there’s a brand new spark within the metropolis. That is one thing new, that is one thing contemporary, it’s not a live performance coming to town, it’s not celebrities that you simply’ve by no means seen earlier than, it’s not soccer or basketball, it is a boxing occasion and these three boxers all grew up within the metropolis. All of us went to elementary faculty, all of us went to center faculty and highschool within the metropolis. Folks truly know us for being within the metropolis. That is large for us nevertheless it’s enormous for town as a result of they know the place we got here from,” stated Davis.
Towards, Lemos, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Davis is combating what many anticipate will probably be his most tough combat up to now, although Davis says that has been the case virtually every time he’s stepped into the ring. Lemos will probably be combating for simply the second time in america, however he made a major affect in that combat, dropping an in depth choice to Richardson Hitchins in April.
“It was positively a 50-50 combat, it may have gone both manner or it may have been a draw,” stated Davis, when requested about Lemos vs. Hitchins.
“What I’m gonna do with him? I’m gonna beat his ass. I’m not gonna play with him. Each single time I combat persons are like ‘Oh Keyshawn is combating this particular person, he’s a step up’ after which I’m going in there and beat their ass. Not being cocky, I simply know what I’m God gifted with. I’m gifted with a blessing, and plenty of fighters will not be blessed.”
Ought to he get previous Lemos, Davis says he has his sights on anybody with a belt at 135 kilos, be it IBF titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko or WBO titleholder Denys Berinchyk, however the highest profile potential matchup Keyshawn Davis may line up can be towards Gervonta “Tank” Davis, holder of the WBA belt and one of many sport’s greatest field workplace sights.
Keyshawn Davis hasn’t been shy about calling out the unbeaten Baltimore native, although he’s not optimistic in “Tank” Davis in search of that combat out.
“Undoubtedly curious about combating Tank for certain, I didn’t name him out for no cause. If Tank desires to combat me, he’ll ship me a contract, the identical manner he despatched Frank Martin a contract, the identical manner he despatched Lamont Roach a contract. He can do something he desires to do,” stated Keyshawn Davis.
“I’d beat the shit out of Tank. He’s too brief, he’s not gonna be capable to contact me. You’ll be able to’t simply hand over rounds on me, there’s plenty of habits that he created that he can’t do towards me.”
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