Keyshawn Davis looks forward to sharing the limelight with Shakur Stevenson

KEYSHAWN Davis continues his ascent towards world titles with a 10-round assignment against Miguel Madueño in Newark tonight. Sharing a card with Shakur Stevenson is all part of the big fight appeal for a young man closing in on the heavy hitters of 135 and surrounding areas.

“It’s always special sharing a card with my brother Shakur. We’ve been doing this since we were kids. We’ve been talking about this since we were amateurs. Brick City loves me. It’s my third time coming here, so I expect the fans to embrace me again as I make that ring entrance,” said Davis.

Tension has been rising between Keyshawn and Teofimo Lopez lately. Lopez (see above, defeating Claggett) successfully defended his WBO super-lightweight title with a points win over Steve Claggett in Florida and badly needs an opponent who can motivate him. 

In an ongoing beef that has escalated from whispered discussions on media stages to full-on yelling sessions at ringside, the Top Rank pair seem a natural fighting fit for the future.

“I just need to do the same thing I’ve been doing. I just need to go out there, have fun and perform,” explained Keyshawn, who is only focused on tonight’s opponent right now.

“He [Madueño] has a style that I’ve seen so many times, especially in the amateurs. When you travel overseas, you fight a lot of guys like that. Now that we are going 10 rounds, I can take my time and dissect this kid. I’m going to go in there and have fun and do what I do.”

All of these next-fight projections will disappear if Davis does not first deal with 25-year-old Sinaloa native Miguel Madueño, who has 28 KOs from 31 wins (against two defeats) and enters with the appropriate nickname ‘Explosivo’.

“This is a good opportunity,” said  Madueño. “It’s an opportunity to show what we are made of. We’ve had some setbacks. But we’re ready to get back on track. And what better than facing a name like Keyshawn.”

Madueño lost to Steve Claggett two fights ago, which probably shows his level.

“I’m going to walk away with my hand raised. We’ll be looking for the knockout. He [Davis] is a great fighter. We’ve been watching and analyzing him. He’s spectacular. But on July 6, we’ll walk away victorious,” countered the underdog.