There are contenders, there are world titlists and then there are the elite champions, the boxers who stand out as truly special in their class.
In the American boxing scene Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson can be considered in that last category.
Keyshawn Davis, who boxes on Stevenson’s undercard this weekend live on Sky Sports, intends to rise into that company himself.
“I’m ready for the next level. I’m ready to get these world titles,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m ready to show the world that I’m on that elite level.”
He wants to prove that against Miguel Madueno in a lightweight contest at the Prudential Center in Newark, live on Sky Sports Action in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“He’s a durable opponent, over 30 fights, it’s going to be a fun fight,” he promised, predicting: “If not a knockout, it’s going to be a spectacular performance.
“People like watching me fight and they know that I’m going in there to knock somebody out, to hurt somebody. People know that in that fight something dramatic’s going to happen.
“I’m special because I’m always in there looking to knock somebody out. I’m always in there looking to hurt somebody. I’m always in there looking to step it up a level or step it up a notch.”
Last time out in February he knocked out Jose Pedraza in six rounds. That was a statement – Pedraza has gone the distance previously with top fighters like Vasiliy Lomachenko.
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The best of the action from Davis’ lightweight bout against Jose Pedraza
“The performance speaks for itself,” Davis said. “Pedraza’s a hell of a fighter. You go back and watch his fights with Richard Commey, with Lomachenko, with Gervonta Davis, with Keyshawn Davis, they’ll be able to tell the difference.
“I want to fight any big name. I’m not at a level where I’m still developing. I feel like I’m ready. I’m ready to fight a big name. Whether it’s Gervonta Davis, whether it’s Lomachenko, whoever – I don’t care.”
He has also had a heated exchange with a high-profile boxer in the weight class above, clashing with Teofimo Lopez when they fought on the same show in February.
“He’s saying to get a belt at 140lbs, get an ‘interim’ title at 140 then we can fight,” Davis said. “You sound scared. What are you telling me to get an interim title for? I’ve got three of them right now at 135lbs.
“That doesn’t even make sense. When he told me that in front of the cameras, in front of everybody, that just told me: ‘Teo, you’re scared or you don’t want to fight me.'”
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He does not want to continue pressing Lopez for that match-up. He’d consider it “bullying” even though Lopez is a world champion in the higher division.
“It’s hard for me to keep pushing that fight because I almost look at it like bullying. Me personally, I know that he doesn’t really want to fight me. He’s just in a position where he doesn’t want to say: ‘Keyshawn, I don’t want to fight you,'” Davis said.
“Me and Teo have history. We know each other. This is deeper than boxing.
“I don’t want to keep forcing the issue if that’s something that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he doesn’t want to fight me now, alright cool, maybe later,” he continued.
“I’m ready to fight now. I’d even go to 140lbs. Isaac Cruz and whoever he’s fighting [Jose Valenzuela for the WBA title] them guys are still 135lbers they’re just fighting at 140. I’m willing to fight anybody.
“I’m ‘The Businessman’ and I mean business when I’m in that ring.”
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