Keyshawn Davis. Photograph by Mikey Williams/High Rank Inc through Getty Photos
Not for the reason that days of Pernell Whitaker has there been a boxing occasion of this magnitude to hit The Scope Enviornment in Norfolk, Virginia.
At simply 25 years outdated, Keyshawn Davis wasn’t round to see “Candy Pea” pack the largest area within the “Mermaid Metropolis,” however he’s heard loads of tales of the whole metropolis popping out to assist their boxing star. The Boxing Corridor of Famer fought there ten instances – along with a variety of different instances across the Hampton Roads space – and now the 2020 Olympic silver medalist turned light-weight contender is hoping to begin a convention of his personal there.
Davis (11-0, 7 knockouts) will face Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) within the ten spherical fundamental occasion on Friday, Nov. 8 at The Scope, with the bout to air reside on ESPN+.
Davis says the one earlier occasions he had attended at The Scope have been the Christmas highschool basketball video games, the place his highschool workforce can be in motion and so would Davis, chatting with ladies from across the space. Now he’s set to be the primary attraction.
“The vibe is loopy. The day they dropped the tickets, they have been tenting exterior the field workplace at 4 a.m. to get the tickets like Jordans are about to drop. Town goes loopy behind this,” Davis informed The Ring in a video interview.
Keyshawn gained’t be the one Davis on the cardboard, nonetheless. His older brother Kelvin Davis (13-0, 7 KOs) will face Yeis Solano (15-3, 10 KOs) in an eight spherical junior welterweight bout, whereas his youthful brother, 2024 U.S. Olympic trials champion Keon Davis will make his professional debut in a 4 spherical welterweight bout towards Jalen Moore (1-1, 1 KO).
Collectively, the brothers type a collective they name “DB3”. Whereas Keyshawn and Kelvin have fought many instances on the identical playing cards, each beginner {and professional}, Keyshawn has by no means gotten to struggle on the identical card as his 23-year-old brother, which is an added perk for this occasion.
“For DB3 the Davis brothers to be bringing it again to the city and simply reflecting on the final time he did it which is 30 years. It’s like man, we’ve gotta do it as large or larger so we’ve gotta attain out to as a lot folks as he did, children, households, to let the folks know there’s a brand new spark within the metropolis. That is one thing new, that is one thing contemporary, it’s not a live performance coming to the town, it’s not celebrities that you simply’ve by no means seen earlier than, it’s not soccer or basketball, this can be a boxing occasion and these three boxers all grew up within the metropolis. All of us went to elementary faculty, all of us went to center faculty and highschool within the metropolis. Folks truly know us for being within the metropolis. That is large for us but it surely’s large for the town as a result of they know the place we got here from,” mentioned Davis.
Towards, Lemos, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Davis is combating what many anticipate will probably be his most tough struggle to this point, although Davis says that has been the case virtually every time he’s stepped into the ring. Lemos will probably be combating for simply the second time in america, however he made a major influence in that struggle, dropping a detailed determination to Richardson Hitchins in April.
“It was positively a 50-50 struggle, it might have gone both approach or it might have been a draw,” mentioned Davis, when requested about Lemos vs. Hitchins.
“What I’m gonna do with him? I’m gonna beat his ass. I’m not gonna play with him. Each single time I struggle individuals are like ‘Oh Keyshawn is combating this individual, he’s a step up’ after which I am going in there and beat their ass. Not being cocky, I simply know what I’m God gifted with. I’m gifted with a blessing, and a variety of fighters are usually not blessed.”
Ought to he get previous Lemos, Davis says he has his sights on anybody with a belt at 135 kilos, be it IBF titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko or WBO titleholder Denys Berinchyk, however the highest profile attainable matchup Keyshawn Davis might line up can be towards Gervonta “Tank” Davis, holder of the WBA belt and one of many sport’s largest field workplace sights.
Keyshawn Davis hasn’t been shy about calling out the unbeaten Baltimore native, although he’s not optimistic in “Tank” Davis looking for that struggle out.
“Positively curious about combating Tank for certain, I didn’t name him out for no cause. If Tank needs to struggle me, he’ll ship me a contract, the identical approach he despatched Frank Martin a contract, the identical approach he despatched Lamont Roach a contract. He can do something he needs to do,” mentioned Keyshawn Davis.
“I’d beat the shit out of Tank. He’s too brief, he’s not gonna be capable to contact me. You may’t simply surrender rounds on me, there’s a variety of habits that he created that he can’t do towards me.”
