The most meaningful performance of Keyshawn Davis’ three-year pro career has earned the Olympic silver medalist his first world title shot.
Boxing News has confirmed that Davis will challenge WBO 135-pound champion Denys Berinchyk in the 12-round main event of a card ESPN will televise and stream from Madison Square Garden’s Theater on February 14. Davis (12-0, 8 KOs, 1 NC) is the WBO’s No. 1-ranked contender for Berinchyk’s championship.
ESPN.com’s Mike Coppinger first reported that a deal has been finalized by promoter Top Rank for Davis to box Berinchyk.
Davis destroyed Argentina’s Gustavo Lemos in a star-making outing in his last fight. An announced crowd of 10,568 assembled for that main event November 8 at Scope Arena in Davis’ hometown of Norfolk, Virginia, where the rapidly developing Davis proved himself to be one of the few American boxers capable of drawing a crowd of that size.
Lemos (29-2, 19 KOs) rather ridiculously came in 6½ pounds overweight for his 135-pound bout versus Davis.
An undeterred Davis fought him anyway, once Lemos weighed in under a second-day weight restriction that was written into their revised contracts November 7. Lemos also surrendered six figures from his purse in commission fines and penalties to Davis, who was at an obvious weight disadvantage when they entered the ring last month.
The 25-year-old Davis still sent Lemos to the canvas three times in the second round before referee Raul Caiz Jr. halted the action at 1:08 of the second round.
Before Davis annihilated him, Lemos lost only a close 12-round unanimous decision to newly crowned IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) in his previous fight, which took place April 6 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Ukraine’s Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) won a then-unclaimed WBO lightweight championship May 18, when he convincingly defeated three-division titleholder Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 12-rounder at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Berinchyk, 36, will make his first defense of that WBO belt when he faces Davis.
