Most professional boxers do not have the opportunity to fight at Madison Square Garden in their seventh pro bout. However, most fighters aren’t Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis of Norfolk, Virginia. More than a year removed from his trip to Tokyo, Japan for the Olympics, Davis has risen up the lightweight ranks and set himself up for a shot at Juan Carlos Burgos.
Caleb Williams may be the man with the golden trophy, but Keyshawn Davis has proven that you don’t have to be a college football star to make the crowd roar on the night of the Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation. Fresh off of a victory against Omar Tienda Bahena at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, Davis made the trip up north to Madison Square Garden for a date with three-time title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos.
Juan Carlos Burgos may have been the more experienced fighter, but Davis was able to bypass his ring experience with skill, knowledge and explosiveness. Early on in the third round, Davis had already landed 34 more punches than Burgos. As ESPN’s analyst Andre Ward put it, Davis is more skilled than Burgos, so his best bet would be to use his experience in the later rounds to outperform the young star. However, it was not enough. Round after round, Davis was able to use the jab to set up countless power shots. At the conclusion, all three judges turned in the following scorecards in favor of the rising prospect: 80-72, 80-72 and 80-72.
Securing his seventh professional victory, the Virginia native is looking to take over the lightweight division. As he puts it, the only thing left to do is to capture a world title.
“This fight is the switch from prospect to contender,” he said.
“Lightweight is definitely where I want to get my world titles no matter who has the belts. That’s just what I’m gunning for.”
