Why 147, Why now
The weight movement itself is not difficult to understand. Davis was big at lightweight. After rehydrating, he already looked like a welterweight. At 5-foot-9, making 135 was never a long-term solution.
The timing is the problem. Davis doesn’t move up after making progress. He’s moving up after a year that brought his career to a standstill.
Weight Miss, Fallout, Silence
He has not fought since February 2025, when he stopped Denys Berinchyk to win the WBO lightweight title. That title didn’t last. Four months later, Davis missed weight by more than four pounds for a scheduled hometown defense against Edwin De Los Santos. The fight was cancelled. The belt was stripped. The response did not settle much.
That same night brought more trouble. Davis and his brothers were involved in an incident backstage after Kelvin Davis lost to Nahir Albright. The police were called. The focus has moved away from boxing.
By August, Davis announced a one-year hiatus. He said he needed to pull himself together. The hiatus also left his career idle. Now he’s back talking about weight classes.
Skip 140 on purpose
Skipping 140 avoids a section full of hard fights and limited upside. Richardson Hitchins. Gary Antoine Russell. Ernesto Mercado is also part of that mix. Hard battles. Not much upside.
Davis did have a way back on January 31st in a fight against Richardson Hitchins. It has been discussed. It did not move forward. The end result did not change. He remained inactive while the division continued.
Bigger names, fewer edges
Welterweight brings bigger names and bigger money. Devin Haney. Conor Benn. It also removes the physical advantages that Davis relied on at lightweight. At 147, he won’t be the bigger man. He will not get room to coast. He will have to win laps.
There are still open questions. Davis has yet to beat a professional opponent at the highest level. His amateur losses to Andy Cruz – four of them – remain part of the picture. Since turning pro, he’s been cautiously fit. The past year explains why.
He also rebuilt his team, cut ties with longtime coach Brian “BoMac” McIntyre and started over. It can help. It can also indicate instability. For now, the plans remain loose. No opponent has been named. No date has been set. Davis has direction. He doesn’t have feet yet.
Moving to 147 can solve the weight problem. It does not address discipline. It does not make up for lost time. Welterweight has a way of solving those questions quickly.
In 2026, Keyshawn Davis will not be graded on projection. He will be judged on whether he shows up and keeps things together.
