Keyshawn Davis. Photograph by Mikey Williams/Prime Rank Inc through Getty Photos
Not for the reason that days of Pernell Whitaker has there been a boxing occasion of this magnitude to hit The Scope Enviornment in Norfolk, Virginia.
At simply 25 years outdated, Keyshawn Davis wasn’t round to see “Candy Pea” pack the largest area within the “Mermaid Metropolis,” however he’s heard loads of tales of the complete metropolis popping out to help their boxing star. The Boxing Corridor of Famer fought there ten occasions – along with numerous different occasions across the Hampton Roads space – and now the 2020 Olympic silver medalist turned light-weight contender is hoping to start out a convention 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 dwell 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 crew could be in motion and so would Davis, chatting with ladies 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 instructed The Ring in a video interview.
Keyshawn gained’t be the one Davis on the cardboard, nevertheless. 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 in opposition to Jalen Moore (1-1, 1 KO).
Collectively, the brothers type a collective they name “DB3”. Whereas Keyshawn and Kelvin have fought many occasions on the identical playing cards, each newbie {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 massive or greater so we’ve gotta attain out to as a lot individuals as he did, youngsters, households, to let the individuals 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, this can be a boxing occasion and these three boxers all grew up within the metropolis. All of us went to elementary college, all of us went to center college and highschool within the metropolis. Individuals truly know us for being within the metropolis. That is massive for us but it surely’s big for town as a result of they know the place we got here from,” mentioned Davis.
Towards, Lemos, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Davis is combating what many anticipate can be his most tough combat to this point, although Davis says that has been the case virtually every time he’s stepped into the ring. Lemos can be combating for simply the second time in the USA, however he made a major affect in that combat, dropping an in depth determination to Richardson Hitchins in April.
“It was undoubtedly a 50-50 combat, it might have gone both method or it might have been a draw,” mentioned 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 individuals are like ‘Oh Keyshawn is combating this individual, 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 a number of fighters are usually not 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 might line up could be in opposition to Gervonta “Tank” Davis, holder of the WBA belt and one of many sport’s largest field workplace points of interest.
Keyshawn Davis hasn’t been shy about calling out the unbeaten Baltimore native, although he’s not optimistic in “Tank” Davis looking for that combat out.
“Undoubtedly enthusiastic about combating Tank for positive, I didn’t name him out for no motive. If Tank desires to combat me, he’ll ship me a contract, the identical method he despatched Frank Martin a contract, the identical method he despatched Lamont Roach a contract. He can do something he desires to do,” mentioned Keyshawn Davis.
“I’d beat the shit out of Tank. He’s too quick, he’s not gonna be capable to contact me. You’ll be able to’t simply hand over rounds on me, there’s a number of habits that he created that he can’t do in opposition to me.”
