Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk won’t meet in the ring until the evening of February 14, 2025, but their battle for the WBO Welterweight Championship began long before Valentine’s Day.
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 1:12 p.m. EST, Keyshawn Davis shared a photo of a box filled with bananas and a watermelon paired with a note that reads, “Here’s a snack for all those night jumps. Stay energized, businesswom…”
“[D]enys [B]erinchyk and his team sent this to my room. I never thought bro was racist but this fight just got a little more personal,” Davis wrote.
At the pre-fight press conference, Davis confronted Berinchyk and said, “I want to address the fact that this guy came to America to give bananas and watermelon with a note on it. It’s unprofessional and I feel like it’s racist and you just made this fight a little more personal.” Berinchyk’s promoter, Alexander A. Krassyuk, denied sending the box to Davis’s hotel room.
“I don’t speak English and I don’t write English. I saw his message on the media. It’s weird to even mention this. Some people with bad intention looking for some hype made this,” Krassyuk said.
As Davis confronted Berinchyk, WBO Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez shared a video of himself watching the Davis-Berinchyk press conference as he laughed and ate bananas. Lopez also wore a a black hat with red, black and green embroidery with the words, “Making Boxing Great Again,” written across the front and a fist on the side.
“My bad,” Davis said after seeing Lopez’s video. “I understand now why y’all [were] trying to [deny sending the box of bananas and watermelon to my hotel room] because y’all don’t want to look racist. I understand that.”
Davis and Lopez are both promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank. Previously, Davis has pushed for a fight with the former unified lightweight champion, but says he has no interest in doing so moving forward.
“So, when brodie [Teofimo Lopez] made that little video on X, it was smart promotion, but I hope he get a fight off that because he ain’t fighting me,” Davis continued.
“I don’t want to fight him, he racist. It’s probably not even gonna get to the fight.”
Instead, Davis will opt to fight Beirnchyk on Friday, February 14, 2025 in New York, New York at the Theater at Madison Square Garden at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN.
