For years, people have been saying that boxing is dying, just like the old claim that “rock is dead.” We’ve heard this so many times since Cassius Clay made a name for himself.
Yet, just a week before one of the biggest boxing events in Saudi Arabia, where Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will fight for the undisputed light heavyweight title, 25-year-old Keyshawn Davis made a quick stop in New York to show what boxing’s future looks like.
Davis has been called the best boxer to come out of Norfolk since Pernell Whitaker, a statement that highlights the late champion more than the city. But Davis was in New York to try to win his first major title on Friday, and I wanted to check out what all the excitement was about.
There’s nothing more exciting in boxing than watching a young fighter on the brink of becoming a star. It’s even more thrilling when you see him at a small, famous venue like The Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the signature crisscrossed ceiling lights and the ring positioned to one side, it had the feel of an upgraded local event.
A small group of Ukrainian fans came to support their fighter, Denys Berinchyk, who briefly held the WBO lightweight title. I say “briefly” because he was a +475 underdog at BetMGM, which wasn’t a good sign.
He seemed more like someone meant to help create a star than a serious challenger, adding to the atmosphere. The first person to walk into the ring was Davis, and it wasn’t a long walk, but he took his time. Wearing white and gold, he stood out against the dark background, and as he lifted his arms, his white gloves moved in the air. The crowd reacted with excitement. There was a sense of high expectation.
Before the fights started, just before Vito Mielnicki and Connor Coyle were about to face off, two fans got into a heated argument in the men’s room after a disagreement.
Fans gathered around and cheered, with one person shouting, “Handle your business, Mr. Businessman!” — a nod to the star of the night, “The Businessman” Davis. The argument was resolved peacefully, but the anticipation stayed high throughout the evening.
Compared to other times I’ve been to The Theater, this one felt more important. I’d been here before for smaller events like a GLORY kickboxing match where fans told me to pay attention to Giorgio Petrosyan, who was seen as a rising star.
Those fans apologized when Petrosyan lost to Andy Ristie, in a way that felt like an apology from someone leaving the dinner table because they weren’t feeling well. I had also been at a Beat the Streets wrestling event years later, where Jordan Burroughs dominated Ben Askren. Both were much quieter events with little excitement.
Keyshawn Davis made Denys Berinchyk see ghosts during their lightweight title fightBut this was different
The Ukrainian flags waved, and the crowd cheered, but the chant that Davis heard was “NOR-FICK, NOR-FICK.” It sounded a lot more like a curse word, especially for viewers, but that’s just how Norfolk is pronounced. While it wasn’t a quick knockout like his win against Gustavo Lemos in November, Davis still showed his skill with a precise right hand.
That right hand was a key part of the fight. It was powerful. It promised something big. Every time it landed, it built the crowd’s excitement until the very end. Berinchyk moved in and out of the exchanges like someone playing with danger, and he tied Davis up whenever he had the chance.
But in the fourth round, everything fell apart. A strong hook combination to the body sent Berinchyk to his knee, and before referee Harvey Dock could stop the fight, Davis was already waving his hands from the neutral corner. He knew the fight was over as soon as he hit him.
You couldn’t help but feel bad for Berinchyk, who had been accused of sending a box of bananas and watermelon to Davis, which was seen as a racist gesture. He didn’t have an answer for Davis on the night of the fight.
Berinchyk got cut and beaten up in close exchanges, feeling more like a challenger than a champion. He won a silver medal for his country at the London Olympics over ten years ago and has had a successful career since. He even tried bare-knuckle boxing, fighting against former UFC fighter Artem Lobov just for fun.
But it feels like Davis isn’t just a boxer—he’s becoming the face of boxing itself. If there was any doubt, it was quickly erased. Davis, who has been around Terence Crawford long enough to learn how to handle himself as a winner, now holds the WBO lightweight title and will be aiming for more.
He’s now on the list of top names in boxing: Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson. Top Rank’s officials believe he will be a champion in other weight classes too.
“What a performance,” said 93-year-old Bob Arum, who has been promoting fights since George Chuvalo faced Muhammad Ali in 1966. “You saw the future of boxing tonight here in New York City.”
