Business Handled: Keyshawn Davis Crushes Denys Berinchyk in Four to Capture WBO Lightweight Crown

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KOs) claimed the WBO lightweight world title in just his 14th professional fight, knocking out fellow Olympic silver medalist Denys Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) with a left hook to the body in the fourth round Friday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Days after an ugly fight-week controversy between the two, Davis refused to let his emotions get the best of him. He stayed composed, picked Berinchyk apart, and closed the show.

The 25-year-old had to navigate Berinchyk’s constant feinting and in-and-out movement early, but by the third round, he had found his rhythm, timing him with right hands on the way in and dropping him with a left to the body.

Seizing on the success of his midsection attack, Davis doubled down in the fourth. As Berinchyk stepped in, Davis countered with a right and left downstairs, the latter folding him to the canvas.

Berinchyk tried to get up, but referee Harvey Dock waved it off at 1:45.

Davis said, “It was an amazing feeling. Right before I knocked him out, I was hearing the crowd saying, ‘Norfolk! Norfolk! Norfolk!’ I was like, ‘I’ve got to knock him out now! Boom!’”

“I never really had problems with awkward fighters. The only thing that was giving me trouble was how he kept jumping in and out. And he was a little faster than I expected. As the rounds went on, I got more comfortable in there, and in the fourth round, I did it to him.”

“My son was here. I had to show up for my son, Keyshawn Jr. He was in the crowd watching me. It means a lot to me now. When he looks back at this day, he’s going to be proud of his father.”

“I want anybody who has the balls to step in the ring and fight me. There are two 135-pound champions that I would love to fight. If they have the guts to step in the ring with ‘The Businessman,’ tell them to send me a contract, or I can send them one.”

X Marks The Sport

Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas lived up to his WBO No. 1 junior middleweight ranking, stopping tough-as-nails German contender Slawa Spomer (20-1, 11 KOs) in the ninth round of a pitched co-feature.

Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) invested in the body early and often, and it eventually paid dividends. He spent most of the fight chipping away and building a comfortable lead before seizing his moment.

Expecting a hook upstairs, Spomer left his body open, and Zayas buried a left to the liver. Spomer never recovered as Zayas pounced, pouring it on until referee Charlie Fitch had seen enough.
Zayas retained his pair of regional straps at 2:01 of the ninth round.

Zayas said, “I knew from the first round that he would wear down little by little. In the third or fourth, I hurt him, and he got me with a good shot. But I went to my corner, and they told me to keep fighting intelligently because we had 10 rounds to wear him down. And by the eighth and ninth, they told me, let’s step it up with the combinations, and we started to land with more power to get the finish.”

“On paper, he was my toughest opponent to date, and I stopped him. I have passed every test that has been put in front of me, and I feel I’m ready to fight for a world title right now. I want that next.”