Keyshawn Davis Stops Esteban Sanchez in Six Rounds!
On the undercard of the Shakur Stevenson – Oscar Valdez junior lightweight unification showdown, junior welterweight prospect Keyshawn Davis (5-0, 4KOs) took on Esteban Sanchez (18-2, 8KOs) in an eight-round contest. They were to fight on March 19, but Davis withdrew after suffering from a non-COVID-related virus.
Davis is one of the prized young fighters on the Top Rank roster. The 24-year-old is from Norfolk, Virginia, the same city that produced the late-great Hall of Famer Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker. Like the legendary former fighter, Davis had a decorated amateur career, winning the USA Boxing National Championships in 2017 and 2018 and capturing a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Davis signed with the promotional company following the Olympics and has shown loads of promise as a pro. In his debut bout with the company, he scored an impressive second-round TKO over Zaragoza in December 2021. Here, he faced Sanchez, a 23-year-old from Baja California, Mexico who entered this bout on a two-fight winning streak.
STRONG AND STEADY
The opening round was rather uneventful for both men; when punches were thrown, they were by Davis. The 2020 U.S. Olympian would throw a jab-straight right hand to the body of Sanchez, who was struggling to get the timing of Davis down. Round two was much better for Davis, who started to unleash more combinations. Still throwing the jab straight right to the body, he would start to incorporate the left hook upstairs that connected on multiple occasions in the round.
As the fight went into the middle rounds, Davis would turn the heat up! Now in the rhythm, the North Folk, Virginia native would overwhelm Sanchez. If it wasn’t the straight right hand, it was the right uppercut and left hooks to the head and body.
Round six was all she wrote as Davis unleashed a beautiful right uppercut that hurt Sanchez, forcing him to take a step backwards. He would follow up with seven or eight consecutive left hooks to the head of a clearly defeated Sanchez. This prompted the referee to jump in and stop the fight.
His ability to fight on the inside while being defensively responsible is very impressive for a guy with only five professional fights. Granted, he’s a seasoned fighter with an extensive amateur pedigree, but he seems like he’ll only get better moving forward.
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By: Jerrell Fletcher.
