NEWARK, New Jersey – Most of the attention Friday night was focused on the two-division champion, who is the newest entrant into the elite lightweight division.
However, before Shakur Stevenson beat Robson Conceicao with relative ease, a younger, less experienced prospect promised that he, too, will be ready for the best the lightweight division has to offer sooner rather than later. Keyshawn Davis told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna after his impressive fifth-round TKO of Omar Tienda that he hopes to be a legitimate lightweight contender next year.
Davis, of Norfolk, improved to 6-0 and produced his fifth knockout against Tienda, who was stopped for the first time in 9 1/2 years during an ESPN co-feature televised from the Prudential Center in Stevenson’s hometown of Newark.
“Hey man, we’re working on becoming a contender, man,” Davis said. “My next fight will put me through that process quicker. And in the next year, we will definitely be racing, and we will be in the top 10, for sure, by next year.”
Davis, a silver medalist at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, fought for the first time in nearly five months. Two of Davis’ fights this year, fights tentatively scheduled for March 19 and July 15, have been canceled due to an undisclosed health issue unrelated to COVID-19.
Mexico’s Tienda (25-6, 18 KOs) had been stopped only once in his first 30 pro fights, but Davis hit him with a counter right hand that sent Tienda to the canvas 1:15 into the fifth round. Tienda tried to survive once he got up and the action resumed, but Davis lunged at him and landed a series of hard lefts and rights that caught Tienda and pushed him into the ropes.
Referee Earl Brown stepped between them and stopped the action at 1:38 of the fifth round.
“Man, honestly, it felt like a dream come true, man,” said Davis, who has won three straight by TKO. “I couldn’t believe that I had the opportunity to act in [a show of] this magnitude. Being that I was out with health issues, I really didn’t know what to expect of myself. But I always said, ever since I turned pro, God got me. And he definitely had me tonight.”
The affable and talented Davis credited Terence Crawford for the undefeated WBO welterweight champion who helped him in the gym recently. Davis has worked with Crawford’s longtime trainer, Brian McIntyre, for each of his three fights since he signed a promotional deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.
“Man, being around Terence Crawford, learning from Terence Crawford every day in the gym, training him day after day, and hearing his voice when he was training. [helped me]Davis said. “But tonight, I give credit to [McIntyre]. Bo-Mac said, ‘Man, look, you walk up to him a lot. Let that man come to you. Place it and hit it with a shot. And that is exactly what I did. I let him walk right into that right hand. Next thing you know, he’s on the ground.”
Davis, 23, is scheduled to return to the ring on December 10 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. His opponent has not been chosen for a fight that ESPN will broadcast before Teofimo Lopez faces an undetermined foe in the main event.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
