Bob Arum, the legendary Top Rank chief, has picked Keyshawn Davis as the fighter who can beat Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, and Vasiliy Lomachenko. The 93-year-old boxing promoter, with over 50 years of experience, still keeps a close eye on the sport's rising stars.
The lightweight division has become one of the most exciting weight classes in boxing. Gervonta Davis holds the WBA title, Shakur Stevenson has the WBC belt, and Vasiliy Lomachenko is the IBF champion. But Arum thinks there's a new kid on the block who can take them all down.
In an interview with YSM Sports Media, Arum didn't hold back in his praise for Keyshawn Davis:
"I favour Keyshawn over anybody in the lightweight division right now, including Lomachenko. If Lomachenko comes back I don't think he'll be as great as he was before. He was never really big enough at lightweight. He was better at featherweight and junior lightweight."
Arum doubled down on his belief in Davis, adding:
"I think Keyshawn is better than anybody in the lightweight division."
Davis, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, has only had 12 professional fights so far. But he's already making waves in the boxing world.
The young fighter will get a chance to prove Arum right on Friday when he challenges for the WBO title at 135lbs against Denys Berinchyk. It's a big step up for Davis, but Arum clearly thinks he's ready for the challenge.
The build-up to the fight has had its share of drama. Davis accused the Berinchyk camp of a racist incident during fight week. Teofimo Lopez also weighed in with some controversial views, adding more fuel to the fire.
Whether Davis can live up to Arum's high expectations remains to be seen. But with the backing of such an experienced figure in the boxing world, all eyes will be on the young fighter this Friday night.
