Keyshawn Davis prevailed in a battle of unbeatens and won his first world championship Friday.
Davis, the 25-year-old American, defeated Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk by knockout and claimed the WBO world lightweight title. The finishing blow was a body shot in the fourth round that left Berinchyk kneeling on the canvas as the referee reached the count of 10.
Berinchyk looked overmatched from the sound of the opening bell and by the end Davis had bloodied his nose and then broke his spirit, ending the fight at 1:45 of the fourth round.
“Man, it was an amazing feeling,’’ Davis said of becoming a world champion.
Davis, who hails from Norfolk, Virginia, said he heard chants of “Norfolk!’’ before he delivered the knockout blow. With that, Berinchyk’s chances of defending his title went from faint to nonexistent.
“The only thing that was kind of giving me a little bit of trouble was how he kept jumping in and out, jumping in and out,’’ Davis said during ESPN’s broadcast. “And he was a little faster than I expected. But as rounds went on and on, I just got more comfortable in there.’
Davis won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and has been working his way up the pro ranks before his bout against the 36-year-old Berinchyk, who was making his first title defense.
Davis improved to 13-0. Berinchyk suffered his loss while falling to 19-1.
Keyshawn Davis def. Denys Berinchyk by KO
Round 1
Davis with a noticeable size advantage. Berinchyk — listed as 5-7 — looks pint-sized against the 5-9 Davis. Davis now attacking the body with his jab, and Berinchyk lunges in with a jab of his own. Davis shoves Berinchyk and it smells a little like WWE. Not much notable here, other than Davis pulling Berinchyk off the mat. A forgettable round, but Davis does enough. Davis 10, Berinchyk 9.
Round 2
Nice right from Davis, but no immediate follow-up. Berinchyk responds with a languishing left. Not impressive. Berinchyk grabbing Davis and everybody’s getting annoyed. Well, definitely Davis. Berinchyk tied up with Davis again, and will be happy to stay that way. Davis lands another hard right. Bell rings and Berinchyk stares at Davis oddly. Uh, probably not going to be enough to win the round. Davis 20, Berinchyk 18.
Round 3
Davis scores quickly with a left. Berinchyk again rushes in and gets dialed up. A hard left to the body drops Berinchyk! But he’s up and wrapping up Davis again. Going to do his best to make this fight dirty. Boxers wrapped up again. Davis measuring Berinchyk, fires another solid body shot. Berinchyk’s favorite move: the hug. Davis now fires with both hands and lands a nice combination as the round ends. Davis 30, Berinchyk 26.
Round 4
Berinchyk bleeding from the nose as the round begins. Davis appears to smell blood. Berinchyk surely does too considering its his own blood. As a result, Berinchyk looks determined to get tangled up to close the space. But down he goes again! Dropped by another body shot! Berinchyk does not get up before the 10-count!
Xander Zayas def. Slawa Spomer by TKO
Round 1: Zayas out quickly behind his jab. Spomer takes a shot to the nose and already is bleeding. Zayas targets the nose again. Spomer fires to the body, but Zayas regains control with his left. Doing damage with that left. Zayas 10, Spomer 9.
Round 2: Zayas comes out firing that left. Much to Spomer’s chagrin. Spomer lands a nice right, then follows with a combination. Zayas sticking with the left. Wisely. Zayas 20, Spomer 18.
Round 3: Spomer showing some urgency, darting in with punches. But Zayas is eluding most of them and tagging Spomer. Lands a solid body shot. Spomer lands a right to the head. Spomer getting his shots in, but not enough. Zayas 30, Spomer 27.
Round 4: Down goes Spomer! BUT, it’s the result of a low blow. He gets time to catch his breath. Spomer moving forward as he looks for an opening. He eats Zayas’ lefts as a result. Zayas punishing Spomer now, landing to the body and head. Spomer looks weakened. Spomer catches Zayas by surprise! But it’s a single shot and Zayas looks steady as the bell rings. Zayas 40, Spomer 36.
Round 5: Spomer looks energized, perhaps because of the big right he landed late in the fourth round? Spomer showing little fear – and willing to absorb those left hands in exchange for a chance to land a big punch or two. Another low blow drops Spomer to the canvas! He’s up and breathing deep. The referee warns Zayas. Ref checking the replay, which shows it was, in his words, “borderline.’’ No point deduction. Zayas evading punches and looking far more skilled than Spomer. Zayas 50, Spomer 45.
Round 6: Spomer swinging with authority, but not precision. Another low blow?!? The ref says no, and the fight continues. Spomer pretty clearly trying to draw a low-blow call resulting in a point deduction. He’ll need about a half-dozen of those. Zayas pulverizing Spomer. Zayas 60, Spomer 54.
Round 7: Spomer showing no quit – and no real chance of pulling out this fight. Barring a puncher’s chance. Zayas content to score repeatedly with the left and occasionally follow up with his right. Zayas 70, Spomer 63.
Round 8: Crisp lefts from Zayas. Wayward punches from Spomer. The pattern is set, and now Zayas is attacking Spomer’s body. It’s worth a collective wince, boxing fans. Zayas 80, Spomer 72.
Round 9: Zayas still throwing with authority. Hard enough to knock out Spomer? He lands a solid right, and Spomer pounces back. Ohhhh. Hard left to Spomer’s body. Spomer in trouble. Zayas stays on the attack and the referee halts the fight! It’s Zayas by TKO.
What happened?: Zayas pounded away on Spomer with his left hand for eight rounds.
In the ninth, Zayas broke him.
An onslaught of body punches left a look of anguish on the face of Spomer. He stopped fighting back, prompting the referee to halt the fight at 2:01 of the ninth round of the super welterweight bout.
Zayas, a 22-year-old Puerto Rican, improved to 21-0. Spomer, a 32-year-old from Germany, fell to 20-1.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Connor Coyle declared majority draw
Round 1: Coyle out quick with the jab. Mielnicki looks a shade too slow. But Mielnicki scores with a combination in the corner. Mielnicki turning up the heat and asserts himself as the aggressor. Mielnicki 10, Coyle 9.
Round 2: Coyle lands a stiff jab and follows that with crisp punches. Mielnicki stuns Coyle with a right! Now looking to land another power punch. Coyle fires back with the jab. Mielnicki landing consistently and getting a little rough – and showing his power. Mielnicki 20, Coyle 18.
Round 3: Coyle more aggressive as the round begins and shows more confidence. Now, Mielnicki stalking and lands a solid left. Coyle showing speed with a flurry of punches. Mielnicki still pushes forward and eats a flurry of punches. Mielnicki 29, Coyle 28.
Round 4: Coyle stalking and showing confidence again. Coyle lands a left to the body and Mielnicki surely felt that. Coyle taking control but bleeding from his left eye. But the blood hasn’t slowed Coyle’s attack. Wow, that eye is a bloody mess now. Huge exchange of punches. Mielnicki 38, Coyle 38.
Round 5: Instant replay shows a punch from Mielnicki, not a headbutt, caused the cut around Coyle’s left eye, according to ESPN. It doesn’t appear to be having much effect on Coyle as he stalks. Action slows. Nice left from Mielnicki. Mielnicki 48, Coyle 47.
Round 6: Action slows again. But Mielnicki finds openings as the boxers move near the center of the ring. Mielnicki connects with a big right. Mielnicki 58, Coyle 56.
Round 7: Coyle shows more aggression, and Mielnicki holds his ground. Coyle lands a bunch. Hard to know how many got through Mielnicki’s high guard. It’s Coyle’s volume vs. Mielnicki’s power. Nice exchanges and Mielnicki draws blood from Coyle’s nose. Mielnicki 67, Coyle 66.
Round 8: Coyle out strong with a combination. Lands another. Mielnicki suddenly looks sluggish. Then surges forward. Nice right uppercut from Coyle. Mielnicki asserts himself at the end of the round, but possibly too late. Mielnicki 76, Coyle 76.
Round 9: Coyle comes out active. Now, they’re tangled up and trading punches, a taste of brawling. Coyle shows great dexterity and Mielnicki responds with power. Mielnicki reopens the cut outside Coyle’s left eye. For all of Coyle’s punches, he doesn’t seem to be able to hurt Mielnicki, who lands a big left to finish the round. Mielnicki 86, Coyle 85.
Round 10: Mielnicki emerges looking strong and confident. Coyle takes a shot below the belt and takes some time to get settled. Mielnicki welcomes him back with power punches. Mielnicki scores with a left uppercut. Looks very strong and almost impervious to Coyle’s flurries. Coyle’s eye is a bloody mess. Now coming in hard with right hand. Mielnicki 96, Coyle 94.
What happened?: Coyle unfurled pinpoint punches. Mielnicki unleashed power. It led to an entertaining 10-round middleweight bout and a chore for the judges.
Scoring rounds felt like a coin flip, and the bout ended in a majority draw.
One judge scored the bout 96-94 in favor of Mielnicki and the two other judges scored it 95-95.
The face of Coyle (20-0-1) was a bloody mess when the bout ended. Mielnicki (21-1-1) looked largely unscathed.
But neither man could claim an official victory.
Juanma Lopez De Jesus def. Bryan Santiago by KO
Round 1: De Jesus needs less than 45 seconds to drop his opponent in his debut! A beautiful uppercut and Santiago does not get off the canvas.
What happened?: Lopez De Jesus, the son of former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez, displayed his pedigree in his pro debut.
The 19-year-old Puerto Rican needed less than a minute to knock out his opponent, Santiago, in their super flyweight bout. He did it with a swift left uppercut.
An Olympic hopeful, De Jesus clearly looked like an impressive pro prospect too while improving to 1-0.
Santiago, a 21-year-old American, fell to 1-2-1.
Abdullah Mason def. Manuel Jaimes by TKO
Round 1: Mason strikes first with that quick right. Boxers measuring before Jaimes strikes. Mason scores again with a very quick right. Impressive speed. Fighters in close quarters and Jaimes lands. But with distance, it’s target practice for Mason. Mason lands a hard left that staggers Jaimes as the round comes to an end. Mason 10, Jaimes 9.
Round 2: Mason showing good movement, evading punches and … drops Jaimes with a brutal left! Jaimes back on his feet and the fighting resumes. Jaimes shows some energy but Mason punishes him with a body shot. Mason to the body again. Jaimes is still game, but his demise now seems inevitable. Mason whipping punches. Mason 20, Jaimes 17.
Round 3: Jaimes charges after Mason. Lunges. And just like that, Mason drops Jaimes with a combination! Jaimes is back on his feet and coming after Mason. Laud his courage? Or question his decision making? Jaimes still looking game, but Mason looks like the predator. Mason 30, Jaimes 25.
Round 4: Mason drops Jaimes with a left hook. Third time down. And third time Jaimes is on his feet fighting again. Jaimes opens up and Mason punishes him for the gallant effort. Mason drops Jaimes yet again! This time the referee halts the fight with 1:07 left in the round.
What happened?: Mason, an unbeaten 20-year-old from Cleveland, says he wants to fight for a world title this year. The idea did not seem far-fetched after his lightweight bout against Jaimes.
Mason knocked down Jaimes four times and finished him off in the fourth round. Wielding a nasty left hand, Mason punished Jaimes for his gallant effort.
Jaimes kept getting up, and Mason kept putting him down. The referee halted the fight at 1:55 of the fourth round.
Mason improved to 17-0 with 15 knockouts and Jaimes, a 24-year-old from Stockton, California, fell to 16-3-1.
Rohan Polanco def. Jean Carlos Torres by TKO
Round 1: Polanco is quick and capitalizing with a jab. Down goes Torres! Taken down by a right with about two minutes left in the first round. Polanco looking for the KO and Torres fighting for his life. Polanco is pounding away. The only question now: Can Torres survive the round? He does. Polanco 10, Torres 8.
Round 2: Torres, wow, opens with a strong left hook. But Polanco responds by flooring Torres. He’s up and, perhaps against good advice, resumes fighting. With determination, in fact. But Polanco throws heavy punches and staggers Torres again. The ref wisely steps in and calls the fight with 1:13 left. It’s Torres by TKO!
What happened?: Polanco demolished Torres in the welterweight bout while improving to 15-0.
Torres might have made his biggest mistake when, after getting knocked down in the first round, he got up and resumed fighting.
Polanco punished him for the decision, knocking Torres down again in the second round and twice staggering him before the referee halted the fight.
Polanco, a 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic, won by stoppage for the 10th time in his 15 fights. Torres, a 34-year-old Puerto Rican, fell to 22-2.
Keon Davis def. Ira Johnson by KO
Round 1: At 6-3, the slender Davis has a striking height advantage over the 5-9 Johnson. And he’s uncorking nasty punches. This is only his second fight, and he’s looking more like a veteran. He’s teeing off on Johnson and lands a big uppercut. Landing punches with force. Davis 10, Johnson 9.
Round 2: Davis digs into Johnson’s body with both hands. Johnson down on his right knee! He beats the count but doesn’t look terribly eager to resume fighting. Davis drops Johnson again! This time he doesn’t bother getting to his feet before the referee counts to 10. It’s over! Davis by KO!
What happened?: In just his second pro fight, Davis turned in an impressive performance in the welterweight bout. He generated immense power with his slender 6-3 frame.
Davis, 23, dropped the 5-9 Johnson to a knee in the second round with an assortment of body punches. Johnson made it back on his feet but didn’t stay there long.
Davis KO’d Johnson at 1:38 of the second round with an overhand right and improved to 2-0. Johnson, 34, fell to 3-3.
Jared Anderson def. Marioas Kollias by unanimous decision
Round 1: Anderson is wearing a pattern with cupids and hearts on his boxing shorts, which look more like a skirt. He throws shots without love, and Kollias responds with his own power. Anderson attacks with his right, and Kollias responds with a barrage to the body and head. Anderson responds but steps into a strong left from Kollias. Kollias 10, Anderson 9.
Round 2: Anderson is out quickly behind his jab. His punches look crisp and he looks in control. Anderson lands an uppercut that catches Kollias’ attention. Anderson slips a big punch from Kollias and makes Kollias pay. Sterling boxing from Anderson. Kollias 19, Anderson 19.
Round 3: Anderson resumes where he left off. Firing his jab and right. Big swing and a miss from Kollias. Anderson again looks in control. Egad! Kollias’ shorts are falling down. But Kollias isn’t. He lands a couple of hard shorts. The referee pulls up those ill-behaved shorts. Anderson finishes the round with a little flourish. Anderson 29, Kollias 28.
Round 4: Once again, Anderson is out quickly. But with his pants pulled down, Kollias fires back. Unleashes some big punches, but none land flushly. Anderson responds with a crisp jab and throws a big right to the body. Anderson looking to be in control. Anderson 39, Kollias 37.
Round 5: Kollias emerges with authority, unleashing punches rather than waiting on Anderson. Anderson looks more vulnerable now and cautious. Down come Kollias’ shorts again. Where’s the ringside tailor?! Kollias literally pulling up his shorts while trying to evade punches. Ref hitches up the shorts again. What a wardrobe malfunction. But nothing can protect Kollias from Anderson’s body assault. Anderson 49, Kollias 46.
Round 6: Down comes Kollias’ trunks again. Kuh-ray-zee. Does anybody in the audience have an extra belt? Anderson suppressed any laughter and suppressed Kollias with that jab. Anderson 59, Kollias 55.
Round 7: Kollias absorbs Anderson’s jab and lands some solid blows. Kollias can’t sustain the attack, and Anderson regains control behind his jab and occasional right. But Kollias gets revved up again and tags Anderson with a shot to the head. Anderson 68, Kollias 65.
Round 8: Both fighters fire early and connect. Kollias lunges forward behind a right and left. Anderson evades the punches. Kollias was willing to eat punches as he moved forward and fired from close range. But Anderson makes good use of his crisp punches. Anderson 78, Kollias 74.
Round 9: Kollias lands a big right. But Anderson absorbs and fires back with a jab and his right. Kollias showing more urgency and unleashing punches. Kollias surges again and Anderson wraps him up. Anderson 87, Kollias 84.
Round 10: Anderson unleashes a stinging left. Kollias bulls forward. Rat-a-tat-tat, Anderson peppering Kollias with that jab and digs in with a left to the body. Kollias wants to brawl, and Anderson hurls Kollias to the mat. WWE, anyone? Kollias finishes the round strong. Anderson 96, Kollias 94.
What happened?: The 10-round heavyweight bout included a memorable wardrobe malfunction. On at least two occasions, Kollias needed the referee to help him pull up his trunks. But that was the lesser of his problems.
Anderson tattooed Kollias with an effective left jab and was the more skillful boxer.
The judges scored it 99-91, 99-91, 98-92 in favor of Anderson, who improved to 18-1. Kollias fell to 12-4-1.
Carlos Guerra Jr. def. Nico Ali Walsh by split decision
Round 1: Guerra comes out as the aggressor. Ali Walsh fights back with his jab followed by a right. Guerra lands a solid right and Ali Walsh backpedaling now. Guerra applies pressure but with modest power. Ali Walsh lands a combination, and Guerra responds. Guerra 10, Ali Walsh 9.
Round 2: Ali Walsh firing early, but Guerra moving forward now and unleashing punches with both hands. Pounding Ali Walsh in the body. Guerra looks awkward, but now he’s got Ali Walsh against the ropes. Guerra still showing limited power, but he’s landing far more punches. Guerra 20, Ali Walsh 18.
Round 3: Guerra working Ali Walsh’s body. Ali Walsh moving well, but the bad news is he needs to be moving. Ali Walsh looks puzzled and now flat-footed while taking an uppercut on the chin. Guerra 30, Ali Walsh 27.
Round 4: Guerra out firing again and marching forward. Ali Walsh lands a solid left to the body but Guerra looks undeterred. Ali Walsh scores another body shot but in exchange eats a shot and is backpedaling again. Ali Walsh looking more active now, and Guerra’s tank may be emptying. Ali Walsh has drawn blood. Guerra 39, Ali Walsh 37.
Round 5: Ali Walsh fires early, and Guerra simply moves forward. A nice exchange in the corner. Guerra pops Ali Walsh with a crisp jab. He’s laughing at Guerra. But the awkward Guerra is laughing back as he stalks Ali Walsh. He lands a solid uppercut, but his face is smeared with blood. Guerra 49, Ali Walsh 46.
Round 6: Ali Walsh lands early, but Guerra continues to move forward. Both boxers landing now. Ali Walsh digs a left into Guerra’s body. Working the head and the body. Ali Walsh coming alive now. Where has this energy been? Guerra 58, Ali Walsh 56.
What happened?: Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, looked like a far more distant relative to The Greatest in his super lightweight bout. Ali Walsh spent most of the six-round fight backpedaling against a construction worker from Chicago who lacked technique and pedigree but not heart. Guerra stalked Ali Walsh from the opening bell and wielded an awkward but effective right hand. He finished with blood on his face but as the victor. The judges scored it 56-58, 58-56, 58-56 in favor of Guerra, who improved to 6-1-1. Ali Walsh, 24, fell to 10-2.
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk time
The undercard starts at 5 p.m. ET. The three-fight main card is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET
Where is Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight?
The WBO lightweight title fight will get underway at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York.
How to watch Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight
The undercard will be streamed on ESPN+. The main card will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.
Watch Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk boxing with ESPN+
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk card start time
Prelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT (PPV on ESPN+)
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight card
Main Card
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk, lightweight, for WBO lightweight title
Xander Zayas vs. Slawa Spomer, middleweight
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Connor Coyle, middleweight
Prelims
Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Bryan Santiago, junior bantamweight
Abdullah Mason vs. Manuel Jaimes, lightweight
Rohan Polanco vs. Jean Carlos Torres, welterweight
Keon Davis vs. Ira Johnson, welterweight
Jared Anderson vs. Marios Kollias, heavyweight
Tiger Johnson vs. Quashawn Toler, welterweight
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Juan Guerra Jr., middleweight
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight odds
All available odds are for moneyline bets (as of Thursday), according to BetMGM.
Main Card
Keyshawn Davis (-600) vs. Denys Berinchyk (+350)
Vito Mielnicki Jr. (-400) vs. Connor Coyle (+275)
Prelims
Abdullah Mason (-1200) vs. Manuel Jaimes (+750)
Jared Anderson (-2500) vs. Marios Kollias (+800)
Nico Ali Walsh (-1200) vs. Juan Guerra Jr. (+600)
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk predictions:
CBS Sports: Davis by unanimous decision.
Brent Brookhouse writes, ‘Berinchyk may find a bit of early success before Davis’ jab starts to dictate how the fight plays out. Once Davis gets rolling, he should fully take over the fight but Berinchyk is likely too crafty to get stopped before the final bell.’
Clutch Points: Davis by decision
Jaren Kawada writes, ‘Davis is coming off an early knockout, one that has him convinced he will do the same to Berinchyk. His power and precision make that possible, but it would certainly be quite a shock.’
Sportskeeda: Berinchyk by decision
Ricardo Viagem writes that Davis is ‘powerful and technical, but can fall into the trap of relying too much on his toughness whenever he finds himself in exchanges. He also has a tendency to be flat-footed.’
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk live stream
The prelims and fight will be available for live stream on ESPN+.
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk price
UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers for $119.99 for the entire year. You can also purchase a monthly subscription of ESPN+ for $11.99.
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk tickets
Tickets listed on StubHub Thursday ranged in price from $86 to $565.
Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk: Tale of the tape
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