IN the wake of a sublime performance, it is easy to throw rotten fruit at the fighter who found themselves on the receiving end of such dominance.
‘Oh no, he was never that good,’ is what many have opined about former WBO world lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk.
But where was that same energy when the Ukrainian outpointed three-division titlist Emanuel Navarrete last year?
Back then, Berinchyk, 19-1 (9 KOs), was largely hailed for his achievement, for upsetting the apple cart with a richly deserved victory on away soil.
But now, after losing to who many consider to be a future multi-weight champion in Keyshawn Davis, apparently the 36-year-old was always useless, average, or however which way a selection of fans chooses to detract from his world level credentials.
Instead, could we not just celebrate Davis’ performance for what it was: a clinical yet ruthless display which, without getting too carried away, may even indicate that he is a tad bit special.
With Davis, 13-0 (9 KOs), it is starkly obvious that he is highly likely to enjoy a long and decorated career.
For starters, he has made the wise decision to surround himself with other talented fighters such as Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson, and, in boxing, the saying ‘iron sharpens iron’ really does hold a great deal of weight.
There is a reason, after all, why the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward reigned supreme for so many years and, equally, why Crawford and Stevenson have both remained unbeaten in this era.
That is not to say that Davis is anywhere near the calibre of those fighters just yet. But rather, his polished defensive manoeuvres and spiteful attacks to the body should see him create a formidable legacy in his own right.
The next step, meanwhile, must be to unify his division. In his post-fight interview, the 25-year-old expressed a desire to face two of the three remaining champions – excluding his good friend Stevenson, of course.
A clash with WBA titlist Gervonta Davis would, understandably, be the preferred option of most fans. At the same time, though, the pound-for-pound star has proved far too elusive for him to represent a realistic opponent for Davis.
That leaves IBF champion Vasyl Lomachenko who, while recovering from a back injury he suffered towards the end of last year, is still yet to make a first defence of his red and gold strap.
But with Raymond Muratalla and Zaur Abdullaev looking set to collide for the IBF interim title on May 10, then perhaps Davis could find a way to shoehorn himself into the mix to face the winner.
As it happens, the winner of that matchup will be expected to face Lomachenko or, failing that, Olympic gold medallist Andy Cruz, who just so happens to be ranked number three by the IBF.
And so, it would appear that Davis could potentially reignite his rivalry with Cruz, a Cuban he failed to beat in the amateur ranks but may well get the better of in the professional code.
In any case, the newly-crowned WBO titlist seemingly has plenty of options to consider.
