The recently stripped -off former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis reportedly requested the sanction body that he would be installed as the no. 1 -contender at 140 for Theofimo Lopez’s light welterweight title.
Rewarded a stripped champion?
If the WBO granted Keyshawn’s request, he would be able to find the current no. 1-selected contender, Alfredo Santiago (17-2, 8 COs), to fight for the interim title, while TheOFIMO (22-1, 13 COs) is negotiating his next battle against Shakur Stevenson.
Boxingscene’s Lance Pugmire brought the news of Keyshawn (13-0, 9 COs) who placed the WBO for the number 1 place on 140.
Olympic silver medalist Davis in 2020 was stripped of his WBO lightweight title on Friday, June 6, 2025, when he was in £ 4.3 at 139.3 pounds for what his first title defense of his belt against Edwin de Los Santos would have been.
Edwin’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, chose to cancel the fight from safety issues for his fighter. De Los Santos would have been a disadvantage to fight a heavier Keyshawn.
Keyshawn’s future is uncertain
Earlier this month, on August 7, 2025, Keyshawn told Ariel Helwani on his YouTube channel that he would take a break from boxing for an indefinite time and said, ‘I have no idea. It can be a year. It can be two. It can take six months.‘
If the World Boxing Organization to Keyshawn’s request to install him as the number 1 contender for 140 for Theofimo’s title, it would not be beneficial for the organization as Davis sits for one to two years. The sanction body does not come ahead by granting Keyshawn’s petition.
Keyshawn is handed over a number 1 ranking by the WBO at Light Welterweight after missing weight and stripping his lightweight title will not be good at fans. It would be like rewarding Davis for failure.
Top Rank’s broadcast challenge
Davis’s top rank promoters do not currently have a broadcasting latform to continue after their contract with ESPN has expired on July 26, 2025 with their last event. The timing is not ideal for Keyshawn to get the number 1 position as the top-rated 140 contender.
Last updated on 08/26/2025
