Keyshawn Davis scored body shot KO against Denys Berinchyk, wins WBO lightweight title

NEW YORK — Keyshawn Davis likes to call himself “The Businessman.” Heading into his biggest fight to date, Davis lived up to that nickname.

Davis was all business in his first world title opportunity, treating the incumbent WBO lightweight titleholder Denys Berinchyk the way that young fighters treat aging trial horses.

Davis lifted the world title with a fourth-round knockout on Friday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Davis ended the fight with a pair of body shots that convinced Berinchyk, bloodied from his nose and swollen around his face, to take the full count on his knee. The end came at the 1:45 mark, as referee Harvey Dock reached the count of 10.

With the victory, Davis, now 13-0 (9 KOs), of Norfolk, Virginia, became a world titleholder just shy of his fourth anniversary of turning professional.

Even after handling one piece of business, Davis was ready to address the next matter of business.

“Anybody that got the balls to step in the ring to fight me. It’s two 135-pound division champions that I would love to fight,” Davis said in a post-fight interview. “If they got the guts to step in the ring with ‘The Businessman,’ tell them to send me a contract.”

It was clear early on that Davis was unimpressed with Berinchyk, 19-1 (9 KOs), of Kyiv, Ukraine. The 36-year-old Berinchyk, who won the vacant WBO belt last May with a split decision over Emanuel Navarrete, was on his bicycle early on, leery perhaps of Davis’ prediction of a first-round knockout. Davis didn’t become overly aggressive, however, stalking and looking for his opportunities, including a right uppercut counter late in the first.

Berinchyk, who appeared much smaller than Davis, switched southpaw in the second round to try to find answers, but Davis was not bothered, landing counter hooks and right hands up the middle. Despite the relatively slow pace of the first two rounds, Berinchyk’s face looked like it was swollen badly already.

Davis, who won a silver medal in the 2020/2021 Olympics, scored the first knockdown of the fight in the third round, as a left hook to the body put Berinchyk down. Davis’ power was becoming more of a factor as the fight wore on, as he ripped power punches to the head and drew blood from Berinchyk’s nose.

“I never really had problems with awkward fighters,” Davis said. “The only thing that was giving me a little trouble was him jumping in and out. As the rounds went on, I got more comfortable in there.” 

Davis is now the second member of the 2020/2021 U.S. Olympic boxing team to win a world title, following Oshae Jones’ IBF junior middleweight title win last November.