Now 15 fights into his professional career and having stepped up from the lightweight division to junior welterweight, Keyshawn Davis seems to be getting the hang of this boxing thing.
In truth, Davis, 14-0 (10 KOs), a former megawatt prospect who stopped Denys Berinchyk in February 2025 to secure his first world title at age 25, hasn’t exactly struggled on the way up. But his May 16 bout against Nahir Albright in Norfolk, Virginia, is very much part of his recovery from a couple of rare professional stumbles.
In October 2023, a Davis victory over Albright was overturned to a no-contest when Davis tested positive (and served a 90-day suspension) for marijuana.
More recently, this past June, Davis was stripped of the belt he had pulled off Berinchyk and blew up a main event bout against Edwin De Los Santos by showing up more than 4lbs over the 135lbs lightweight limit.
A win over Albright would more or less allow Davis to move on and get to the business of chasing a title in a second weight class.
“I know what I need to do,” Davis said. “I know what I need to do to get prepared. I’m a better Keyshawn now. I’m not up-and-coming any more. I’m a former world champion. And it’s going to show on May 16.”
Albright, 17-2-1 (7 KOs), went 10 rounds with Davis in their first go-round, and he has never been stopped. But Davis, who has put together a four-fight knockout streak – most recently stopping Jamaine Ortiz in January at New York’s Madison Square Garden – is already predicting a concussive finish in the Albright rematch.
“I’m starting to understand the game,” Davis said. “I’m starting to understand myself and the blessing and abilities that I have and that God gave me. When I go in there super-focused and in shape, I know nobody can hang with me. But even if they can hang, they’re going to get stopped too. I’m confident in myself that I can stop anybody in the ring, from 140 to 147.
“This is an opportunity to stop guys that have never been stopped before. Albright’s going to be the fourth guy I stop in a row. They’re going to keep saying that I’m going to be one of the greatest of all time.”
Also appearing on the card will be Davis’ brothers – welterweights Kelvin, 15-1 (8 KOs), and Keon, 4-0 (3 KOs) – in separate bouts. The sibling trio have begun to make the Scope Arena a hometown haunt: The May 16 show will mark the second occasion all three brothers fight on the same card at the Norfolk venue. If not for Keyshawn’s De Los Santos debacle, this event would have made it three.
“It’s like home, man,” Keyshawn said of sharing the ring with his brothers. “We’ve been fighting at home, took it to the gym, fought in the gym, and now we fighting on the world stage. So, I love it. It’s different.”
Keyshawn said he specifically relishes fighting in Norfolk, where everyone from former middle school teachers to family from New York and Washington, D.C., will come out to the show to offer support.
“I don’t understand why people say it’s harder for them to fight in their hometown. I don’t understand it,” he said. “I’ve traveled the world and fought in different countries where the crowd was against me, and I still went out there and won. So fighting in my hometown is so much more comfortable. I feel like my best performances come from fighting in my hometown, and I just can’t wait to do it all over again.”
