In an electrifying night of boxing at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, Keyshawn Davis, a local lightweight star, showcased his talent with a second-round knockout of Argentina’s Gustavo Lemos in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,568. This event marked the arena’s most significant boxing match since the legendary Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker faced Buddy McGirt three decades ago.
Davis (12-0, 8 KOs), despite coming in above the weight limit, exhibited a dominant performance by knocking Lemos down three times in the second round with a powerful left hook/right-hand combination, leading the referee to step in and halt the fight. Davis expressed confidence in his victory, stating he did not feel Lemos’ power during the match.
In a thrilling co-feature bout, fellow Olympic teammate Troy Isley (14-0, 5 KOs) retained his NABO middleweight title by defeating Tyler Howard (20-2, 11 KOs) via a unanimous decision after ten tough rounds, further solidifying his WBO world ranking with impressive scorecards of 99-91, 99-91, and 98-92.
Additional noteworthy performances included Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs), who rallied back from two knockdowns to secure a knockout over Yohan Vasquez (26-6, 21 KOs) in the second round, and Kelvin Davis (14-0, 7 KOs), who outpointed Colombian veteran Yeis Solano (15-4, 10 KOs) with a unanimous decision and a knockout in the final seconds of the match.
The night also saw Virginia’s Austin Deanda (16-0, 10 KOs) win by unanimous decision against DeAundre Pettus (12-3, 7 KOs), junior middleweight Keon Davis (1-0) had a successful professional debut, and Robert Meriwether III (8-0, 3 KOs) overcame Eric Howard (6-3, 1 KO) in a six-round contest. Former contender Raeese Aleem (21-1, 12 KOs) returned to the ring after an 18-month hiatus, dominating Derlyn Hernandez (12-3-1, 10 KOs) to clinch a unanimous decision victory.
Overall, the event not only highlighted the incredible skills of the boxers involved but also fostered a sense of local pride as they captivated the enthusiastic crowd, suggesting a bright future for boxing in Norfolk. This night reaffirms that the region is a hotbed of emerging boxing talent.