Can Keyshawn Davis Deliver On His Home Turf?

November 8, 2024

3 weeks

Can Keyshawn Davis Deliver On His Home Turf?

Keyshawn Davis faces his big test against Gustavo Lemos on November 8 as he fights in front of his home fans.

Keyshawn will box from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, as he enters the bout with an 11-0 record. Bob Arum has already discussed Keyshawn’s star power, stating that over 7,000 tickets have been sold. There are suggestions that over 10,000 fans could be in attendance. The crowd could break the 9,150 in attendance for Pernell Whitaker’s last fight. The Businessman has been talking up his credentials, accusing Gervonta Davis of ducking.

Davis Vs. Lemos

Keyshawn is ranked third in the IBF, WBC and WBO rankings. However, he is chasing the WBA Lightweight Champion in Tank Davis, who is expected to face Lamont Roach Jr. next. Keyshawn has previously accused Tank of cherry-picking his opponents while doubling down on his desire to box the best. This will be his third fight this year, showing he wants to remain as active as possible. He arrives into the bout with wins against Jose Pedraza and Miguel Madueno in his last bout.

But to get a win, he will have to deal with an unpredictable opponent. Gustavo Lemos is 29-1, with 19 KOs to his name. The Argentinian’s best win was against Lee Selby. But when he stepped up in competition, he came short. He suffered a loss against Richardson Hitchins in his last fight in what was an IBF Super Lightweight Title Eliminator. But that was at 140, meaning the Davis fight could play out differently.

Lemos’ Mindset

But Lemos has not helped himself, having failed to make weight. He weighed a staggering 141.4 pounds when the weight limit was 135. He has to weigh in on the morning of the fight and cannot be over 148 pounds. If he is, there is a high chance he will not be allowed to fight. During their final presser, Lemos kept things very short, showing perhaps he was not all that confident.

“I don’t really see a difference [between this and my previous fights]. I have a strong opponent, and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity. [And] I respect all my opponents. Good or bad. So I want to wish him good luck on Friday and take care. Be careful,” Lemos

“I feel like I’m ready for any opponent at 135, whether it’s the number one or the number eight, whatever. I feel like I’m ready for anything. After this fight when I get a spectacular win, I’m going for the world title. You know, so that’s after this fight. Lemos is just another opponent ahead of me. I just got to knock that obstacle down. We gonna be a world champ by next year,” Davis