When his social media followers requested final Saturday evening, Keyshawn Davis dismissed the thought of preventing newly topped IBF mild welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins.
Richardson can be pure bother attributable to his boxing expertise, energy, pinpoint accuracy, and his mobility. His ring IQ is on one other stage than Keyshawn’s, and he’s able to beating him like Cuba’s Andy Cruz did 4 instances up to now.
The light-weight contender Keyshawn (12-0, 8 KOs) feels that he’s above Hitchins (19-0, 8 KOs) because of the latest turnout of followers for his final struggle on November eighth in opposition to Gustavo Lemos on the Scope Area in Norfolk, Virginia. The attendance for Keyshawn’s homecoming struggle in opposition to the sunshine welterweight Lemos was 10,568.
The Businessman’s Technique
Davis sees the attendance numbers and his second-round knockout win over Lemos (29-2, 19 KOs) as indications that he’s one of many “elites” within the 135-lb division. Nevertheless, the 5’5″ Lemos appeared weight-drained after being hand-picked by Davis for this struggle. That efficiency solely confirmed that Keyshawn might be a drained, gradual, tiny fighter that doesn’t belong preventing at 135.
Keyshawn may have chosen light-weight contender Andy Cruz, a fighter with a 4-0 report in opposition to him from the amateurs, together with within the 2020 Olympic finals, however he wished Lemos. Apparently, he was coming off a loss to Hitchins on April sixth.
As a substitute of Davis taking up Cruz, he selected a not too long ago crushed fighter, and now he’s classifying himself as one of many “elites” at 135. Here’s a traditional instance of matchmaking 101: making a manufactured star. You may’t blame Keyshawn for the hustle. The followers are those that may’t see what’s occurring.
Hitchins appeared superb final Saturday evening on December 7, outboxing mild welterweight champion Liam Paro (25-1, 15 KOs), successful a 12-round cut up choice on the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The scores had been 116-112, 116-112 for Hitchins, and 117-111. I had it 10-2 for Hitchins.
“Y’all hold speaking about Hitchins. F*** Hitchins. I don’t care about him,” stated Keyshawn Davis on social media final Saturday following Richardson Hitchins’ masterclass efficiency in opposition to IBF mild welterweight champion Liam Paro in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Bro already is aware of what it’s relating to me. I’m 12-0, with eight knockouts, about to struggle for a world title [against WBO 140-lb champion Denys Berinchyk], 13-0. I’m knocking individuals out, placing on insane performances, promoting out arenas with 10,000 followers [Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia].
“What are you able to say, bro? 11,000 followers. Y’all can’t actually say an excessive amount of. That’s what I’m saying,” stated Davis.
Keyshawn says he’s going to be preventing WBO light-weight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) subsequent in February. That man is perceived because the weakest hyperlink among the many champions at light-weight, however he’s bought an excellent probability of beating Keyshawn. As we noticed in Davis’ struggle in opposition to Nahir Albright, he’s nonetheless the identical fighter that Cruz beat within the Olympics. He hasn’t improved in any respect.
Keyshawn’s success since turning professional in 2021 is a product of soppy Berlanga-esque matchmaking and his being larger than the blokes he’s been preventing.
Is Keyshawn An Elite?
“I proved that I’m with the elites. I’m not only a fighter out right here making noise. I’m with the elites,” stated Keyshawn to Mark Kriegel of ESPN. “I additionally promote. There have been 10,000 followers, and all 10,000 followers bought an excellent view of who ‘The Businessman’ was that evening,” stated Davis about his win over Lemos on November eighth in Norfolk.
Promoting 10,000+ tickets doesn’t imply that Keyshawn is a star. It simply implies that Norfolk followers are keen to come back to look at him struggle, which can mirror that being a city with little leisure in comparison with the large cities.
If Davis had been from Los Angeles or New York, he wouldn’t attract these cities as a result of there are too many different sources of leisure for followers. You could produce in these areas or have a tremendous Ryan Garcia-like following on social media.
