Keyshawn Davis will defend his WBO lightweight title against Edwin De Los Santos on June 7 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The Olympic silver medalist returns to his hometown for what could be a significant night in his boxing career.
"He's not an old fighter," Davis said about his opponent. "He's young. De Los Santos is very young. What I do expect is probably the first couple rounds he'll be slow, get his feet under him."
Davis (13-0) captured the WBO lightweight championship in February with an impressive four-round victory over Denys Berinchyk. His path hasn't been without obstacles, though. Prior to winning the title, Davis had a win overturned following a positive marijuana test.
His challenger, Edwin De Los Santos (16-2), hasn't stepped into the ring since his 2023 loss to Shakur Stevenson in a WBC title bout. Despite the layoff, De Los Santos remains confident in his power and finishing ability.
"If I connect, I don't think the fight will continue because it'll end right there," De Los Santos boldly predicted.
Interestingly, the event will be something of a family affair. Both of Keyshawn's brothers, Keon Davis and Kelvin Davis, are scheduled to compete on the undercard. Keon (3-0) will face Michael Velez-Garcia, while Kelvin (15-0) takes on Nahir Albright.
The co-main event features promising 21-year-old Abdullah Mason (18-0) against the experienced Jeremia Nakathila from Namibia. By the way, Mason has received high praise from legendary promoter Bob Arum and looks to maintain his perfect record.
Other notable bouts include Delante "Tiger" Johnson (15-0) against Janelson Bocachica and Troy Isley against Etoundi Michel William in what shapes up to be a stacked card.
Despite being a heavy favorite, Davis isn't taking De Los Santos lightly, acknowledging the electric atmosphere awaiting them. "The arena's gonna be packed... It's gonna be a different environment from what his last fight was," he noted.
Can De Los Santos pull off the upset in Davis's backyard, or will the hometown hero continue his rise through the lightweight ranks?
