There’s going to be a championship boxing match in The Theatre at Madison Sq. Backyard on Valentine’s Day.
Wait, don’t cease studying. Certain, boxing isn’t what it was, however that is completely different.
It’s not a fundamental occasion between a 25-year-old influencer vs. a former champ just a few years away from gathering Social Safety.
It’s not an MMA fighter with ten consonants in his title and cauliflowered ears that may make a salad buffet jealous.
And it’s not a heavyweight championship the place the champ appears to be like the half, however the challenger is so bloated that he may have been used on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade as a balloon.
On the Backyard card, each fighters are beneath 40. Each are undefeated. Each have received Olympic silver medals, have attention-grabbing again tales and the struggle will not be some overpriced pay-per-view.
The struggle is on plain previous, common, fundamental cable ESPN beginning at 9 p.m. It’s additionally accessible on ESPN Desportes and, should you should, ESPN+.
Girls and gents, it’s light-weight WBO champion Denys “The Thunder” Berinchyk (see solely seven consonants) from Kyiv, Ukraine with a professional document of 19-0 with 9 KOs. He’s defending his title towards American Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis (12-0, 1 NC and eight KOs).
Davis is skilled by Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, coach of four-division champion Terrence Crawford who faces Canelo Alvarez in Saudi Arabia in September.
Berinchyk captured his light-welterweight silver on the 2012 London Olympics whereas Davis received his light-weight bauble on the 2020 Tokyo Video games.
The gifted Davis is promoted by Prime Rank and their 93-year-old boss sees one thing in Davis that is likely to be actually particular.
“He reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard, the way he fights,” mentioned Bob Arum, who has promoted a number of the all-time greats like Ali, Foreman, Mayweather and Pacquiao. “Whether he ends up as good as Leonard, that remains to be seen, but he has all of the qualities to be a top, top, boxer in multiple weight divisions.”
When Davis is advised who Arum thinks he reminds him, with out lacking a beat, he blurts out, “Sugar Ray Leonard.”
“The first time he ever told me that, I was 5-0, 6-0 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas,” recalled Davis, who began boxing at age 9. “I didn’t see it when he said it, but as time goes on, I started seeing it for myself.
Talk is cheap if you can’t back it up, but Davis does have that serious side.
It’s not just from his nickname “The Businessman,” although he desires to be taught the game inside and outside. It’s what he sees in his opponent that may make him harmful.
“I’m really great at reading body language,” mentioned Davis, the daddy of five-month-old Keyshawn Davis Jr. “When I watch tape, I’m looking forward to seeing what type of person that I’m fighting. It’s not about your skill, your ability, how fast you are, nothing like that. I take that out and I just look at how tough you are.”
“You know when things get tough?” he mentioned. “How are you coming out each round? How are you slowing down? What kind of mentality that you have? I look at all that s–t.”
Berinchyk, 36, is making his first title protection. He captured the crown with a 12-round break up determination final Could over champion Emanuel Navarrete.
His life away from the ring is startling as he helped ship support, evacuate civilians and dodge gunfire from the now three-year conflict between Russian and Ukraine.
Berinchyk earned a PhD in bodily schooling and sport from the Nationwide College of Ukraine. He could attempt to put strain on Davis, however Berinchyk can’t convey the strain that Davis has needed to take care of in his life.
Davis has overcome fairly a bit in a brief time period. He grew up seeing his mother and father actually preventing one another and life’s strain put him in a psychological facility at age 17 whereas nonetheless in highschool.
He went there in an ambulance, strapped to a stretcher for a three-hour trip to the ability with the siren blaring. Davis nonetheless will get antsy at any time when he hears that noise.
Davis has advised his story to ESPN and FIGHTHYPE.com about harming himself and placing a gun to his head. He’s stronger now, has God in his life, glad he acquired assist and offers with strain in his personal manner.
Combating within the Olympics had him coping with a unique type of strain.
“It just helped me learn how to deal with the pressure on the highest stage,” he declared.
He’s not fearful about difficult Berinchyk. When requested if he sees a choice or a knockout, the reply comes lightning quick like his combos.
“First round,” he mentioned, matter-of-factly. “I believe I can do it and I’m going out there and try to do it.”
Davis admitted that he was nervous main as much as his final struggle versus Gustavo Lemos (29-1) in entrance of his hometown followers in Norfolk, Va., final November.
“I didn’t really feel any pressure until fight week because everything was so happy,” mentioned Davis who now resides and trains in Las Vegas. “Fight night is when I actually started to feel the pressure. I haven’t gotten nervous in a long time.”
He handled the strain by stopping Lemos in two rounds.
In Davis’s 13 professional fights, he has by no means fought an opponent with a shedding document.
“You don’t want to waste his time fighting guys who are nobodies,” mentioned Arum, including, what’s the purpose of, “fighting guys who he’s going to roll over.”
“I expect him to push the pace,” predicted Davis and admitting he’s by no means gone 12 earlier than although he’s gone 10 3 times. Berinchyk has gone 12 seven instances together with his final 4 fights.
Additionally on the cardboard, Roseland, N.J.’s personal Vito “White Magic” Mielnicki Jr. (20-1; 12 KOs) faces undefeated middleweight Connor “The Kid” Coyle (21-0; 9 KOs) in 10 rounds; unbeaten junior middleweights sq. off as Zander Zayas (20-0; 12 KOs) from Puerto Rico faces Slawa Spomer (20-0; 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder; and heavyweight contender Jared Anderson (17-1; 15 KOs) appears to be like to bounce again after struggling a kayo loss in his final struggle towards Martin Bakole. Anderson faces Marios Kollias (12-3-1; 10 KOs) in 10.
Davis’s nickname is “The Businessman” for good purpose. He’s making an attempt to be taught the enterprise aspect of the game.
“I see myself as Keyshawn Davis ‘The Businessman,’” he declared. “The people are going to put a label on you, whether you are a role model or whether you are hypocritical or not, whether you’re a good person or not.”
He strives to be “The Businessman,” however the actual enterprise particular person could also be a member of the family.
Wanda Davis is Davis’s mom and supervisor. She is the actual Businesswoman.
“She’s very smart and managers don’t always consist of just managing the paperwork, boxing and just maneuvering,” mentioned Davis. “A boxing manager’s job also consists of managing your life outside the ring and she does a great job doing it.
“She’s there every step of the way.”
His mother could have her work minimize out for her. If Davis captures the WBO belt, there are some very profitable fights to be made at 135 the place he’ll reside for some time.
The IBF champ is Vasilly Lomachenko, the WBA champ is Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who’s preventing WBA 130-pound champ Lamont Roach at Brooklyn’s Barclays Heart on March 1, and the WBC boss is Shakur Stevenson.
So, who you bought?
“Honestly, it don’t really matter,” he mentioned. “I got a lot of people that I’ve been going back and forth [Tank Davis] on social media. I got a lot of names.”
He’s a social media savant. He is aware of of its significance.
“If you don’t have social media, then nobody knows you,” mentioned the 5-9 Davis. “You’ve got to be active on social media. Social media runs the world.”
Davis proved it in his final struggle at The Scope in Norfolk. The final huge struggle there was Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker defending his WBC welterweight title in a 1994 rematch towards James “Buddy” McGirt.
“When we had him fight in his hometown, through social media, he was able to cause a stir,” mentioned Arum. “We had a sold out arena (10,588) with a lot of loyal fans.”
If Davis retains this up, “The Businessman” could develop into greater than only a nickname. It may develop into what each athlete craves … his personal model.
