WATCH: Keyshawn Davis in Norfolk homecoming battle, potential Tank Davis showcase
Keyshawn Davis. Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
Not since the days of Pernell Whitaker has there been a boxing event of this type to hit The Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
At just 25 years old, Keyshawn Davis wasn’t there to see “Sweet Pea” pack the biggest arena in the “Mermaid City,” but he heard many stories of the entire city coming out to support their boxing star. The Boxing Hall of Famer has fought there 10 times — in addition to many other times in the Hampton Roads area — and now the 2020 Olympic silver medalist-turned-lightweight contender is hoping to start his tradition there.
Davis (11-0, 7 knockouts) will face Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in a ten-round main event on Friday, Nov. 8 at The Scope, with the fight to be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Davis says the only previous events The Scope had attended were high school Christmas basketball games, where her high school team would play and so would Davis, chatting with girls from around the area. Now he is going to be a big attraction.
“The vibe is crazy. On the day they dropped the tickets, they camped outside the box office at 4 a.m. to get tickets like the Jordans that were about to drop. The city is going crazy after this,” Davis told The Ring in a video interview.
Keyshawn won’t be the only Davis on the card, though. His older brother Kelvin Davis (13-0, 7 KOs) will face Yeis Solano (15-3, 10 KOs) in an eight-round junior welterweight fight, while his younger brother, the 2024 US Olympic champion -Keon Davis will play his first game. in a four welterweight title fight against Jalen Moore (1-1, 1 KO).
Together, the brothers created a collection they called “DB3”. Although Keyshawn and Kelvin have fought many times on the same cards, both uneducated and professional, Keyshawn has never fought on the same card as his 23-year-old brother, which is an added advantage of this event.
“In DB3 the Davis brothers will bring it back to town and think back to the last time they did it for 30 years. It’s like a person, we have to do it as big or big so we have to reach as many people as he did, children, families, to let people know that there is a new spark in the city. This is something new, this is something new, it’s not a concert coming to town, it’s not a celebrity you’ve never seen, it’s not football or basketball, it’s a boxing event and these three boxers grew up on the street. the city. We all went to elementary school, we all went to middle school and high school in the city. People really know that we are in town. It’s big for us but it’s big for the city because they know where we come from,” said Davis.
Against Lemos, 28, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Davis fights what many expect to be his toughest fight to date, although Davis says it has been almost every time he steps into the ring. Lemos will be fighting for only the second time in the United States, but he made a big impact in that fight, losing a close decision to Richardson Hitchins in April.
“It was definitely a 50-50 fight, it could have gone either way or a tie,” said Davis, when asked about Lemos vs. Hitchins.
“What am I going to do with him? I will spank him. I will not play with him. Every time I fight people say ‘Oh Keyshawn is fighting this guy, he’s the one going up’ and I go in there kicking ass. Not having a cock, I just know what God has gifted me with. I have been given a blessing, and many wars are not blessed.”
If he does get past Lemos, Davis says he’s looking at whoever holds the 135-pound belt, whether it’s Vasiliy Lomachenko who holds the IBF title or Denys Berinchyk who holds the WBO title, but Keyshawn Davis might come up against Gervonta “Tank. ” Davis, holder of the WBA belt and one of the biggest box office attractions in the sport.
Keyshawn Davis has never been shy about calling out the undefeated Baltimore native, even though he’s not optimistic that “Tank” Davis wants that fight.
“I definitely want to fight Tank, I didn’t call him for no reason. If Tank wants to fight me, he’s going to send me a contract, the same way he sent Frank Martin a contract, the same way he sent Lamont Roach a contract. “He can do whatever he wants to do,” Keyshawn Davis said.
“I could have beaten Tank. He’s too short, he can’t touch me. You can’t just break up with me, there are many habits he can’t do with me.”
