Keyshawn Davis passed the test with flying colors, fresh off a spectacular performance against what many saw as an upside fight and a real risk against battle-tested Gustavo Lemos. He stood out for the first time in his hometown and embraced the moment instead of letting the pressure of the ten thousand cheering home fans fall on him. In doing so, he showed that he has what it takes to handle the pressure outside of the ring.
His performance showed us that he can also handle the pressure inside the ring. His game plan of not backing down from the pressure Lemos brought to the table from the first bell was on point. He stood his ground, operated with surgical precision, and ended the fight in two rounds, putting on a spectacular performance in the process. And his stock immediately rose: young, skilled and spectacular, not to mention selling 10 thousand tickets for his first significant headline. It is well deserved and can and should serve as a launching pad for a future illustrious career.
In his post-fight interview in the ring, he was understandably pumped up, working the crowd and charismatic. However, he called out Gervonta Davis in a way that left this writer confused. Before we dive in, let’s make one thing very clear: Keyshawn is supposed to call out the biggest names. Being shy gets you nowhere, just like when mouths aren’t fed in the sport of boxing.
That said, there was something about the way Keyshawn called out Tank that came across as ill-advised, maybe even reckless. I completely understand that a fighter is supposed to have confidence, especially after a significant victory, but sometimes arrogance and recklessness can disguise themselves as justified confidence in one’s mind.
Keyshawn may very well be able to beat Gervonta, but his approach could end up being problematic. He shouldn’t let his significant win against Lemos hurt his long-term vision. Tank is not Lemos – far from it.
Gervonta hasn’t always fought the best competition out there and we can agree to disagree on whether it was him refusing to take those fights or whether it was boxing politics that prevented that from happening.
But that doesn’t mean Keyshawn should call him out with the foregone conclusion that he’ll beat him. There’s a fine line between being confident and letting the heat of the moment cloud your judgment, especially if that cloud lingers.
Criticizing a Bugatti because you haven’t seen it race other powerful sports cars doesn’t erase the fact that under the bright lights it can easily reach 300 miles per hour.
And Tank is a Bugatti—a beast. His biggest attribute, which some fans tend to overlook or not even notice, is his very high ring IQ.
He is also very patient and the primary purpose of that patience is to allow that ring IQ to blossom round after round with deadly results.
Tank steps into the ring very wary of his opponent and immediately begins to collect the necessary data that will show him the way to victory. And when that moment arrives, he goes for the kill. Avoiding getting Tank finished when he’s hurt you is almost impossible. No one from 130 to 140 and maybe even higher can take Tank’s power or predict how he will deliver that power.
I didn’t feel like Keyshawn had that in mind during his post-fight interview. The way he called out Tank gave me the impression of a fighter who doesn’t entertain the idea that what happened to those before him could happen to him. If I’m correct in my perception, Keyshawn has already lost the fight, provided that happens of course.
If I were in Keyshawn’s corner, I would sit with him and tell him to imagine the following scenario:
“It’s the seventh round, and you had your moments, but Tank took your shots, and he’s starting to step up his game. You’re here and realize that the fight isn’t playing out the way you imagined it in your mind, and he just started the process of increasing the pressure on you. Now, you’re reluctant to let your hands go like you did in the earlier rounds because any opportunity you see, any opening you think you need to take advantage of, might be a setup at this point in the fight. You counsel yourself against throwing because he can catch you bare with shots that are impossible to predict, and you know that when the first one hits the target, the second one will end the fight. You then begin to realize what’s at stake, how this fight can make you an overnight star, but also how badly losing a once-promising career will surely bring a brutal halt. The crowd goes wild, and the lights get brighter, and it’s only the seventh round…”
If such a scenario were to happen, can Keyshawn keep his cool, or will he crack under the pressure?
Teddy Atlas, who happens to know a thing or two about boxing, said Tank is a complete fighter. That’s probably the best compliment you can give a fighter.
I’m not counting Keyshawn Davis out at all. I just worry that his improved confidence will be his downfall. As the great Khabib Nurmagemedov once said, “I take people into deep waters, and they discover themselves!”
When it comes down to it, we will discover who Keyshawn Davis really is. So he will, for better or for worse.
