Keyshawn Davis on Shakur Stevenson fight: “When the time is right”

Keyshawn Davis reiterated that he will not fight his friend Shakur Stevenson, but he is open to an exhibition match, “YouTube style.” He says people will want to watch him and Shakur fight an exhibition after they clean up the 135- and 140-lb divisions.

The “Exhibition” Apology

For fans to be interested in watching an exhibition match between Keyshawn and Shakur, they will need to become popular with casual boxing fans. Unfortunately, none of them are fighting quality opposition to get noticed.

WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is regularly booed by fans in his fights, and Keyshawn has been selectively matched by his promoters on Top Rank his entire three-year professional career.

Keyshawn (12-0, 8 KOs) is massive for the 135-lb division, and he will need to move up soon as he looks like a boiled down welterweight for his fights at lightweight. 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 stacked against him. He is the only one he can beat. Even then, it’s a 50-50 toss up because Berinchyk is technically a much better fighter.

The only things Keyshawn has going for him is his youth, massive welterweight-sized frameand its being the A side. The last item could be enough for Keyshawn to win. If Keyshawn had to fight where he belongs at 147, he would be up against it, facing Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and getting divots by him.

I don’t know how on earth Keyshawn can melt down from welterweight. Younger fighters can drain without it hurting them, but eventually they can’t do it anymore when they reach their late 20s and early 30s. Until then, they are playing the system. If every sanctioning body had strict 10-lb rehydration limits, you’d be eliminated weight bullies.

“When the time is right”

“They keep asking me to fight you. We can do an exhibition; that’s what we can do,” Keyshawn Davis said social mediatalking about fans wanting him to fight his friend Shakur Stevenson.

“We can quickly use YouTube style on these guys. Who isn’t going to watch it? They are still going to look at the exhibition. They are still going to look at it. We’re going to exhibit on these fools when the time is right, and I’m going to let you know when the time is right,” Keyshawn continued about wanting to do an exhibit with Shakur. “You’re going to be like, ‘Yeah.’

“We’re going to showcase this motherf**** and move up in weight, and then do the same thing. We are about to clear the (lightweight) division and move up in weight. How mad are you all?

“Man and Shakur will beat everybody. We just beat everyone, move up in weight and never fight. Then do it again at 140. It will be funny as s***. Beat all your favorite fighters. They’re going to be sick as hell,” Davis said.

Keyshawn isn’t going to beat everyone at 135, and neither is his friend, Shakur. Look at the way Keyshawn picks and chooses his opponents. He is NOT going to any of these talented fighters:

– Raymond Muratalla
– Andy Cruz
– William Zepeda
– Edwin De Los Santos

It’s likely that Keyshawn, 25, will soon leave the 135-lb division without even trying to fight any of those guys because the odds of him losing would be too great. He was almost 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 “Top 3” myth

“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 okay with them putting me in that category at 12-0,” said Keyshawn, who believes he is one of the top three fighters in the lightweight division.

“The best 135-pounders are light skinned (Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, me and Shakur, period),” Keyshawn said. The best 135-pounders. Come on bro. Call a spade a spade.

Keyshawn is getting way ahead of himself when he talks about being in the top three at lightweight, as he still hasn’t beaten any contenders in the 135-lb division.

He is not even close to being one of the top three lightweight fighters because he will have to beat competitors to reach that level. Keyshawn hasn’t fought even one contender. He was protected by Top Rank the same way Edgar Berlanga was when he was with that company.

Keyshawn’s best wins

– Gustavo Lemos: Non-contender, coming off a loss
– Miguel Madueno: Second tier non-contender
– Nahir Abright: same
– Jose Pedraza: 0-2-1 record going into the fight
– Anthony Yigit: Non-contender

He’s making a big deal about fighting the diminutive, weight-drained light welterweight Gustavo Lemoswho was coming off a loss to Richardson Hitchins and had to drop down from 140 to fight Keyshawn on November 8th.

Why did Keyshawn pick a short guy, Lemos, who fights at 140, who is coming off a loss? I have a very good idea. It was plain old fashioned cherry picking. When a fighter chooses someone from a division above to drain to fight them, it’s meant to gain an advantage because the guy is weakened. It’s sneakybut it works.

Casual fans or those without critical thinking skills are impressed and are unable to put two and two together to find out that they are being deceived. Keyshawn could have fought his four-time conqueror, Cuba’s Andy Cruzwho beat him in the 2020 Olympic finals and referred to him as “My son.” Cruz volunteered to fight Keyshawn, but he chose Lemos. What does that tell you?