Keyshawn Davis: The future face of boxing?

Promoter Bob Arum believes lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis can become the “face of boxing” if he continues to improve. Keyshawn goes up against Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in a 10-rounder this Friday, November 8, in front of his hometown fans in Norfolk, Virginia. ESPN+ will broadcast the event live.

2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn (11-0, 7 KOs) is still going strong and hasn’t been out of sorts in several recent fights his top-ranked promoters have put him in. Keyshawn doesn’t look like the face of boxing material.

Can Keyshawn become the face of boxing?

That of Keyshawn clownish personality outside the ring attracts fans who want to see him fight. Top ranking will likely have to protect him his whole career like Tyson Fury was protected to stop him from losing.

“If he continues to develop the way he has, he will be the face of boxing,” Bob Arum said Boxing Newstalking about 25-year-old Keyshawn Davis.

If Top Rank can continue to match Keyshawn like they did Edgar Berlangacan they create an artificial star out of him. In other words, he would a Milli Vanilli type of star with superficial shine but no real depth behind him unless he makes big strides in his ability.

Keyshawn has the Tyson Fury-esque nutty personality to become an attraction outside the ring, but he hasn’t shown any of the talent that suggests he’s capable of defeating the high-level fighters at lightweight.

One would hate to see what Gervonta Davis would do to Keyshawn if that fight happened. Keyshawn was already upset by Nahir Albright, a non-puncher, and he had a look of pure panic in his fight against Miguel Madueno.

Besides Keyshawn being selectively matched to make him look like 24k gold, he can fall apart at the seams when matched against a true killer at 135, 140 or 147. The way Keyshawn struggled against Miguel Madueno last July when he was put under pressure was like a flashback to how he fell apart against Cuba’s Andy Cruz in the 2020 Olympics finals.

When Cruz pressured Keyshawn, he melted. We saw the same thing in Keyshawn’s recent fights against Madueno and Nahir Albright. He does not react well when pressured and is unable to mentally handle battlefield conditions.