Keyshawn Davis Targeting Gervonta After Lemos On November 8th

Keyshawn Davis says he wants to challenge Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis next after he faces Gustavo Lemos on November 8th at the Scopes Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

The unbeaten #3 IBF, #3 WBC, and #3 WBO ranked lightweight contender Keyshawn (11-0, 7 KOs) isn’t in the position to force WBA 135-lb champion Gervonta Davis to fight him. All Keyshawn can do is hope Tank would want to fight him just based on his performance against Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs), but that’s unlikely.

Keyshawn vs. Lemos will headline on ESPN+ on a Top Rank-promoted card. This is Keyshawn’s homecoming, and the event is expected to sell out.

The 2020 Olympic silver medalist Davis needs wins over top 5-level contenders, like Andy Cruz, Edwin De Los Santos, and William Zepeda, to put him in a position to challenge Tank for his WBA belt. Beating Lemos isn’t good enough to put pressure on Tank.

In the co-feature, WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. defends against Derrieck Cuevas. Also on the card is the unbeaten lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason (15-0, 13 KOs) is fighting Yohan Vasquez (26-5, 21 KOs) in an eight round contest.

“This is another fight for me. Lemos is a human, just like I’m a human. I’m the best man at 135, and I’m going to show that November 8th,” said Keyshawn Davis to Boxing Social about his fight against Gustavo Lemos next month. “I need to put on a statement because this is my first main event. This is my homecoming, and everybody is expecting something major.

“I can be the Face of Boxing because I can fight, and I bring that energy too. I just have to keep being who I am. I don’t have to do nothing else different. Frank Martin, no. Gervonta, yes, because he has a belt, meaning I’m going after the belt,” said Keyshawn when asked if he wants to fight Frank Martin and Gervonta Davis.

Keyshawn should forget about his dream of becoming the ‘Face of Boxing’ because he lacks the right style or the skills needed to reach that level. Being the face of the sport requires a large fan base and the talent to impress the public. We’ve seen Keyshawn struggle in fights that should have been easy for him but were a nightmare.

“I need a belt to solidify Keyshawn Davis, the businessman, and then I can go after everybody. So, if Tank wants to fight me, I will gladly take his belt. If not, I’m going to go after somebody else that wants to give me a shot. I’m not looking at Tank like, ‘Oh, I got to get Tank.’ [Forget] Tank. I’m not looking at him like that. I’m me. I don’t have to use him to build my name,” said Davis.

Winning a belt won’t solidify Keyshawn in the eyes of the public unless he captures it against Tank Davis, Vasily Lomachenko, or Shakur Stevenson. Those are the three champions that are seen as the best in the lightweight division. Apart from them, it won’t help do much for Keyshawn’s popularity or career by defeating WBO champion Denys Berinchyk to win a belt.

“I’m going to build my name regardless. If Tank wants to fight me, I’m going to sign the contract. But I’m not out here chasing after Tank. I’m worried about ‘The Businessman.’ World champion in the next 18 months. Big fights. Keep putting on big fights,” said Keyshawn when asked where he sees himself in the next 18 months.

“If this wasn’t my homecoming, I’d still be fighting on the co-main. Me and Lemos would be a big fight. That’s what I set up. I set the bosses down at Top Rank, and we got that together,” said Davis.

Keyshawn is a good fighter, but not on the left of the top-shelf guys at lightweight. Talent-wise, Davis is more of a fringe contender.

He hasn’t shined in his recent fights against Miguel Madueno and Nahir Albright. In both contests, Keyshawn struggled and looked lost. He had to use roughhouse tactics to defeat Madueno and was fortunate not to be penalized or disqualified.

Cream of The Crop 135-pounders