Keyshawn Davis often can’t help himself once he gets in the ring.
But he’s eager to show the more polished part of his game.
The reigning Ring Magazine Prospect of the Year looks to continue his rapid rise against Anthony Yigit Saturday night (10 p.m. Eastern) on Top Rank’s Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshina card from Newark, N.J. in a 10-round lightweight bout.
After previously only starting with eight-rounders, it’ll be the first 10-round fight in Davis’ burgeoning career.
Davis has been overwhelming inside the ring as he surged to a 7-0 record since turning pro, mauling his opponents from short distance and unloading barrages of punches as soon as he’s in front of them.
It’s worked so far for Davis, but as he keeps stepping up in the caliber of the opponents he faces, he knows it’s perhaps time to start unleashing his more well-rounded game.
“I love to fight. But really? I’m like a smooth, clean-cut boxer. Really box. I might just do it against Yigit. It’s just that every time I get into a fight, I just get that [urge], and start beating you up,” Davis told The Post as he playfully held up two fists with his hands. “But I can really sit back, pick my shots and just box. Use my feet. I might just do that this time.
“It really comes down to what I want to do, how I’m feeling that day.”
Despite having just seven pro fights, the 24-year-old Davis, a Norfolk, Va. native, is already positioning himself for title fights in one of boxing’s most star-studded divisions.
A former 2021 Olympic silver medalist, Davis already is ranked No. 10 in the division by the WBO and No. 14 by the IBF.
Davis now enters a critical transition — going from a rising star in the sport to taking “rising” out of the equation, and just cementing himself as one of boxing’s stars.
He has deep competition at lightweight in that ambition — undisputed champion Devin Haney along with Stevenson, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis are similar to Davis’ age and all have emerged as some of boxing’s biggest attractions.
Turning pro later than those top dogs, Davis hasn’t had nearly the same amount of fights nor the opportunities to showcase his lauded talent.
That’s why he’s fast-tracking the type of fights he’s taking, matching up with the caliber of opponents most wouldn’t with just a few pro fights, and believes he’s ready for a title shot within the year.
But despite his contemporaries’ accolades and stature in the division, Davis doesn’t feel any rush to match them, nor any pressure to separate himself from them.
He’s comfortable, and uber confident, in his own lane.
“In terms of my character, you can’t compare me to anybody,” Davis said. “I’m Keyshawn Davis, I’m the only person that does a lot of things in boxing, that a lot of people don’t do. A lot of people don’t like me for it. A lot of people say I talk a lot, a lot of people say I’m just a prospect and I need to slow my roll. At the end of the day, I’m gonna continue to be me.
“That’s the fans’ job, for them to give their opinions or ‘Keyshawn you can’t beat him,’ and ‘Keyshawn you’re getting knocked out by him,’ that’s the fans’ job. I don’t look to separate myself from anybody. I was born in this world as Keyshawn, and I just think me being me is going to separate me from everybody else.”
Davis will be sharing the card with Stevenson, who has long been one of his closest friends and mentors, for the second straight fight.
The two became close coming up in the amateurs, with Stevenson just two years older than Davis.
As the two both attempt to take over the lightweight division and live up to their high expectations, they’ll continue to lean on each other.
“We really feed off each other, especially when we’re in training camp together,” Davis said. “We push each other. We’re both great long distance runners. We really push each other in every aspect. Even when fights aren’t coming up, we make sure we’re both in the gym. We both always check up on each other.
“Even mentally, outside of boxing. People don’t know our real relationship. Me and Shakur got a real brother relationship. Our mothers know each other. In terms of Shakur, I don’t know when it’s gonna get through their heads, but Shakur is really like my brother, this is not just for boxing.”