Keyshawn Davis Targets Teofimo Lopez And Adam Azim: ‘I’m Willing To Fight Anybody’
Fast-rising prospect Keyshawn Davis has set his sights on Teofimo Lopez Jr. and exciting British talent Adam Azim, stating that he is “willing to fight anybody”.
Davis, named 2022 Prospect of the Year by both ESPN and The Ring Magazine, continued to live up to the hype when he took his perfect professional record to 10 wins with a sixth-round stoppage of Jose Pedraza in Las Vegas earlier this month.
It was a scintillating performance from the 24-year-old American in what represented the biggest step up in his career so far against a former two-weight world champion. The fight was the chief support to Lopez’s successful WBO super-lightweight title defense against Jamaine Ortiz, and Davis certainly caught the champion’s attention.
After Lopez was declared the winner, he was seen in an exchange of words with Davis, who was sitting ringside for the bout, leading to speculation that the pair could share a ring in the near future.
Davis, who operates at lightweight and holds the IBF USBA, WBC USA, and WBO Intercontinental lightweight titles, has revealed Lopez called him out and that he is ready to take on ‘The Takeover’.
“He was talking to the crowd and happened to look at me. I told him: ‘Good fight Teofimo’ and he said: ‘Yeah, it was a good fight, I was trying to make it more of a fight but when guys feel my power they start to run. You’re going to be next,’” Davis told Sky Sports.
“I was like, wow, okay you said I’m next. We’ve got to fight now. That fight can happen. We’re both with Top Rank, I’m a rising star and he’s a star, why not?”
Another fighter on Davis’ radar is European super-lightweight champion Azim. The 21-year-old nicknamed ‘The Assassin’ (11-0-0 8 KO) is making plenty of noise in the UK and is being billed as a potential future world champion in his home country.
Davis ‘Would Love To Fight Azim’
Given their similar status as rising stars, it would be a fight that would carry plenty of interest among fight fans on both sides of the Atlantic, and it’s one that certainly interests Davis.
“Adam Azim been calling my name out for some time now. I would love to fight Adam,” said the Olympic silver medalist. “A lot of these fighters be calling these names out but not willing to take the fights. I’m willing to fight anybody.
Davis insists that he would even be willing to travel to the UK for the fight, which he believes would only expand his fanbase.
“If Adam is willing to fight me, I will play the game and we will fight in the UK and make it a mega sell-out fight,” he said. “One thing about the UK fans is they love fights. I feel like once I stop Adam they will [still] want to watch me fight again there because I put on crowd-pleasing fights.
“I love the UK fans. Let’s make the fight happen Adam. I’ll come to your hometown, it’s nothing new to me.
“Adam is a hell of a fighter. He has power and he’s at 140lbs,” Davis added. “It’s another challenge for me. I’m not taking anything away from Adam, but I just think I’m different. I know Adam has never been in a ring with a guy like me. I will stop Adam Azim. I know that for a fact.”
