Keyshawn Davis removed of boxing world title a day before
NORFOLK– Keyshawn Davis’victorious homecoming as a boxing world champion has actually been dampened significantly after he missed weight by more than 4 pounds at a weigh-in Friday at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.
Davis, a Norfolk local who ended up being a World Boxing Organization world champ on Feb. 14, was set up to eliminate Edwin De Los Santos on Saturday night at Scope, but battle was in doubt Friday night. Either way, Davis will be stripped of his WBO lightweight title since he can be found in at 139.3 pounds– 4.3 pounds over the 135-pound limit.
Rather than attempt to reduce to the weight limitation, Davis opted to quit his title.
“Keyshawn missed weight by 4.3 points. The 2 sides are currently negotiating so the battle can continue, however regardless Keyshawn will no longer be the WBO champ,” Evan Korn, Director of Communications and Fighter Advancement for Top Rank, informed The Pilot. “If Keyshawn wins, the title will be uninhabited. De Los Santos can win the title if he wins. However Norfolk’s title battle is not what we thought.”
Settlements were ongoing late Friday, but had actually not advanced.
Davis, 26, was quoted Friday by Ring Publication as stating, “I’ve been making this weight for over 4 years now, I just outgrew the weight. I attempted. … I just grew out of the weight.”
If the bout goes on Saturday, Davis will battle professionally in his home town for the second time. It would be his very first bout since he knocked out Denys Berinchyk in February in the fourth round at The Theater at Madison Square Garden to declare the WBO light-weight title.
Davis, who participated in Granby High in Norfolk, was a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and has been considered as an increasing star in the boxing world. The win over Berinchyk was an exclamation point on his march to a champion– his ninth knockout in 13 professional triumphes.
Norfolk’s Keyshawn Davis wins WBO light-weight world championship with fourth-round knockout
The weigh-in Friday topped a testy week between Davis and De Los Santos, a Dominican who is 16-2 with 14 knockouts.
While they stared each other down at an interview Thursday, De Los Santos grabbed Davis’ champion belt. Davis instantly reacted with a tough push to De Los Santos’ chest as individuals leapt in to separate the two fighters.
Later, Davis was all smiles as he discussed his return to Scope, including fighting once again at home on a card with his siblings– Kevin and Keon, understood collectively at DB3.
“It belongs to the sport,” Davis stated of the scuffle. “And I likewise got to realize that I have actually been doing that for several years for other individuals as a possibility and a competitor. And now I’m a world champ. So I got ta be able to take what I dispense.”
The tension today, however, didn’t stop with Davis and De Los Santos.
Kelvin Davis, left, banters with Nahir Albright throughout a press conference at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, on June 5, 2025. (Billy Schuerman/ The Virginian-Pilot )Prior to that, Keyshawn’s older bro, Kelvin
“Nite Nite”Davis, entered a war of words with challenger Nahir Albright. Albright combated Keyshawn Davis in 2023. Davis won a bulk decision, but the result was stated a no contest by the Texas Department of Licensing and Guideline because Davis checked favorable for cannabis.
Albright (16-2, 7 KOs) now has a possibility to face another Davis (15-0, 8 KOs).
“After the Keyshawn Davis fight, it was disappointing,” Albright said. “I had to go back home to Philly and go back to work. I’m a single father. I needed to provide for my daughter. And it was hard. But I’m here. I made it through it. I remained strong through it all. I continued to train. I simply remained favorable through everything.”
Now Albright takes on the eldest Davis, and he didn’t mince words.
“I remember when I was combating Keyshawn, I was at journalism conference. And Kelvin resembled, ‘State it with your chest!,'” he said. “So it’s funny since it’s like a full-circle moment. Now I get a possibility to eliminate him because he was talking insane. God has put him in front of me. And we’re visiting what’s up Saturday night.”
Kelvin Davis said he delighted in the verbal exchange.
“Today was genuine exciting. It was enjoyable, actually,” he stated. “You got ta take pleasure in moments like this. It’s the nature of the sport. You can’t get too emotional. It was simply a little trash-talking. However come Saturday night, it’s gon na decrease genuine.”
The card also includes Keon Davis, the youngest Davis brother. Keon Davis (3-0, 2 KOs) will combat Michael Velez-Garcia (3-0, 2 KOs) at 6:50 p.m. Saturday.
He’s thrilled about the chance.
“I’m simply taking things slowly,” he said. “I’m doing things one day at a time. Action by step. I’m not attempting to rush the process.”
Other battles include: Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremia Nakathila in a NABO & NABF lightweight title battle, 10 p.m.; Janelson Bocachica vs. Tiger Johnson in a 10-round welterweight battle, 8:10 p.m.; Etoundi Michel William vs. Troy Isley for a NABO middleweight title, 7:20 p.m.; Abel Mina vs. Euri Cedeno in 10-round middleweight battle, 6 p.m.; Naheem Parker vs. Deric Davis in a six-round light-weight battle, 5:30 p.m.; and Marcus Smith vs. Patrick O’Connor in a four-round cruiserweight battle, 5:10 p.m.
Sports editor Jami Frankenberry contributed to this story.
Originally Released: June 6, 2025 at 3:52 PM EDT