Keyshawn Davis claims he would have already fought his former nemesis, Cuban Andy Cruz, if he had control over his matchmaking at Top Rank.
The lightweight contender, Keyshawn, has a record of 0-4 against Cruz, who beat him soundly all four times they fought in the amateur ranks. Cruz (3-0, 1 KOs) turned professional in 2023 and has already called out Keyshawn (10-0-1, 7 KOs) despite only having three fights.
Andy Cruz’s Call Out and Hearn’s Interest
Andy’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, has said he’d make the fight between Cruz and Keyshawn in a second, and he thinks that would be an excellent stepping stone for his fighter to use Davis as a launching pad for his talented Cuban fighter.
Keyshawn’s matchmakers at Top Rank are well aware of his limitations as a fighter, so they’ve not accepted Hearn’s offer to make the fight with Andy Cruz for obvious reasons.
Although Keyshawn is a good fighter, he’s not on Cruz’s level, and a fight between them would send the Virginia native’s career into the dirt, putting him in a bleak situation where he would need to consider moving up to 140.
That’s where Keyshawn should be fighting because he has no opportunities at 135, and he won’t be able to make weight soon, given how huge he is for the division.
Davis’s Confidence and Cruz’s Dominance
“If I had full control of who I fight next, we would have been had Andy Cruz in the ring. I would have been f*** him up. Certain fights, ‘I got to have you.’ But I don’t have full control over my match-making yet,” said Keyshawn Davis to Sean Zittel about his interest in fighting 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, a talented former Cuban amateur, who beat him easily all four times they fought before turning pro.
Again, Top Rank won’t make the fight between Keyshawn and Cruz because it is bad for their fighter. They’re better off steering Keyshawn into safer waters away from killer sharks like Andy Cruz and focusing on the guppies and minnows he’s been gulping by a mouthful since turning pro in 2021.
Davis’s Upcoming Fight and Teofimo Dreams
Keyshawn fights former Steve Claggett victim Miguel Madueno (31-2, 28 KOs) in a ten-round fight at lightweight this Saturday, July 6th, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event will be shown live on ESPN. In the main event, WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson defends against Artem Harutyunyan in a twelve-round fight.
“After I get my belt, I’d still love to fight Teo [Lopez]. He’s still on my side of the street, and 140 is right around the corner. I’d still like to fight Teo, but I don’t think he’ll fight me. I’d still like to fight Teo or [Denys] Berinchyk for my belt.”
It’s pointless for Keyshawn to keep calling out WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez for a fight because it’s forlorn already. Teofimo has major career problems, and he’s just trying to hold on the best he can. He’s made it clear that he has no interest in fighting Keyshawn and wants the payoff against Terence Crawford.
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