SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Keyshawn Davis was impressed with Lester Martinez’s victory over previously undefeated Joeshon James on Saturday.

“Lester is amazing, man. I really want to see him start really competing for a world title at this point, man – like, really start contending,” Davis, the WBO lightweight titleholder who last month stormed to victory against Denys Berinchyk, said of his gym mate. “I’m pretty sure he's contending now, but I want him to get a shot at this point.

“Honestly, I feel like he’s ready,” Davis said. “Everybody he’s been fighting, they’ve been real credible opponents. I feel like tonight, man, he just added a freaking highlight reel to his portfolio. You know what I’m saying? Lester is an amazing fighter. I just can’t wait for the world to really, really take in Lester.”

James started off the fight behind a tidy jab, but Martinez gradually closed the gaps and started to apply pressure. He hurt James and dropped him heavily in the third, then finished him in the fourth.

“Obviously, there’s a couple of rounds where [Martinez] had a look and then found his time in the distance, and that was it, right?” said Davis. “It didn’t really surprise me, man. A knockout like that was crazy. You can’t really predict nothing like that. But a fighter like Lester, he gets guys up out of here. He’s 19-0 with 16 knockouts. “Tonight, it showed for itself.” 

Davis, who is targeting two or three more fights this year, remains open to the biggest challenges.

“The 135lbs division, you know, it got a lot of new opponents, a new world champion, a new face, so it’s also one of the best divisions out there,” he said. “I think it is the best [division in boxing]. It don’t really matter to me [who is next] – I just want to get out here and I want to put on big fights. Honestly, it don’t really matter like a specific name or anything like that. But I just want to continue putting on great fights for the sport of boxing, just keep raising my profile.”

Having made a splash in New York and having proven to be a big draw back in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia, Davis is prepared to fight anywhere.

“East Coast, for sure, you know. I definitely want to travel around the East Coast. But living in Las Vegas, you know, a Vegas fight will always be tremendous, you know what I’m saying? But I definitely want to stay on the East Coast for now.”

Davis has previously called for a fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, but the Baltimore star will likely run back his draw with Lamont Roach Jnr in the summer, and that is a fight Keyshawn believes is necessary.   

“I think that’s the best for the both of them,” he said. “I think that’s best for what everybody wants to see. A rematch would definitely be tremendous, so we’ll see.”

Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, is on The Ring ratings panel and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.