Notebook: Keyshawn Davis faces Pedraza with newfound maturity
Ryder announces retirement; big British heavyweight fight set; Matias-Paro in works; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Lightweight Keyshawn Davis, the 2022 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year, appears to be moving to the next chapter of his career both in terms of his opposition inside the ring and his maturity as a young man outside of it.
Davis, a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will step up a significant level when he takes on by far his most notable opponent in former junior lightweight and lightweight titlist Jose “Sniper” Pedraza on Thursday (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET).
The 10-rounder is the co-feature on the card headlined by lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez’s first defense against Jamaine Ortiz at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
While Davis must contend with the vastly experienced Pedraza, who remains a quality fighter, he will do so coming off a no contest against Nahir Albright in October that had some questioning his commitment to boxing.
Davis defeated Albright by 10-round majority decision but the result was changed to no contest and Davis was suspended for 90 days by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for testing positive for marijuana, which remains on the banned list, in a post-fight drug test. It cost Davis the chance to fight Pedraza in December, when it was originally being planned.
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When the suspension was announced, Davis made no apologies and said he would continue to smoke marijuana. He has since changed his tune and said he is no longer using the drug.
“I’ve been through serious mental health (issues),” Davis said recently on the Cigar Talk podcast about what got him started smoking. “Back then, before I was even on the (Olympic) team, I used to do things to harm myself. I went to the mental home. I was on medication for my mental health daily. Just throughout that process I was still smoking.
“Ever since I did put the weed down I’ve been a way better person, man. My coaches see. They say that I got way more energy. Even people at the (Las Vegas) UFC facility I train at, they’re like, ‘I don’t know, Keyshawn, there’s just something different about you with this camp. I feel like you just taking it more serious.’ Like I said, I had to ask God and reflect on myself to really overcome that addiction.”
Davis (9-0, 6 KOs), 24, of Norfolk, Virginia, hasn’t looked great in recent fights but said he is motivated by facing a fighter of Pedraza’s caliber. Pedraza has shown a strong chin and only been stopped once, by a young Gervonta Davis in a seventh-round knockout loss that cost him the IBF 130-pound title in 2017.
“I can’t wait for Thursday. I’m looking forward to an amazing performance,” Davis said. “I’m trying to stop Pedraza. He’s only been stopped once, by another Davis. Now it’s going to happen with a Davis from a new generation. I feel like this is my breakout fight. It’s going to put me at the top level.
“He has experience, but I’ve dealt with that before. It doesn’t make a difference. It’s just another fighter and another opponent coming to win. This is going to be a fight. I finally feel like I’m going to be in there with someone who can really fight. Whatever game plan he has, I feel like he’s going to test me. And I’m going to rise to the occasion.”
Promoter Todd duBoef, the president of Top Rank, was happy to hear about Davis giving up smoking and striving to impress against Pedraza.
“The maturity that he is expressing at this point is very similar to the arc of a lot of fighters that come out of the Olympics, highly heralded, and they have to stub their toe at times and they have to figure out how to adjust after they do that,” duBoef told Fight Freaks Unite. “All of that is part of the growth, the arc of a fighter’s career. We were not aware that he was smoking marijuana. It’s not for me to tell him to do it or not do it, but obviously he has some shame and what I’ve noticed is he has a desire to prove to everybody that he’s better than what he’s shown his last couple of fights.”
Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs), 34, of Puerto Rico, is moving down in weight from junior welterweight, where has boxed his previous seven fights since 2019.
“I feel stronger at lightweight. This is my division,” Pedraza said. “When I moved up to junior welterweight, it wasn’t because I couldn’t make the weight. I had a goal of becoming a three-weight world champion.”
Pedraza is 0-2-1 in his last three bouts but fought well in all three fights. Last time out, he dropped a competitive 10-round decision unbeaten Arnold Barboza last February. Before that fought to a split draw with former lightweight titlist Richard Commey and lost a competitive decision to former unified junior welterweight titlist Jose Ramirez.
Pedraza has never avoided tough opposition and embraced the fight with Davis.
“I can’t wait to fight Keyshawn Davis,” Pedraza said. “Keyshawn is an excellent boxer, but I have more experience. He has a lot of experience, too, but as an amateur.
“I believe the key is going to be throwing a lot of punches. I'm going to overwhelm him with a lot of punches. I'm going to use a lot of lateral movement as well. I will use all my experience. All of that is going to be key in this fight. He has youth on his side, but I have the experience. I wish him all the luck in the world, but be careful not to slip on this ‘stepping stone.’ I am not a stepping stone.”
DuBoef believes Pedraza will give Davis his toughest test in a fight he could lose.
“I think Pedraza is a very difficult fight for him. I think it’s a very difficult fight,” duBoef said. “I think he’s gonna have to shine like you can’t believe on this night. He’s going to have to show his ability to take a punch, to give a punch, to sit in the pocket, to box. He’s going to have to put every piece of his arsenal at work against Pedraza and still might have a tough fight against a guy who will be there all day. Pedraza is that quality.
“This is a significant fight, a significant former word champion, who has fought the best out there. Nobody on (Davis’) body of work has the quality of work as Pedraza.”
Junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez defends the title for the first time against Jamaine Ortiz on Thursday (ESPN) in Las Vegas. If you missed the full podcast episode we have broken out the part that is my interview with Lopez. Listen, review, and subscribe for an alert when the next episode is available. New shows every Thursday and Sunday night.
Ryder retires
Longtime super middleweight contender John Ryder announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday.
Ryder (32-7, 18 KOs), 35, a southpaw from England, made the announcement in a statement posted on his social media accounts.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have come to the decision to hang up my gloves and retire from professional boxing,” Ryder wrote. “I’ve been absolutely blessed to have the most amazing career over the past 14 years. Starting in Bethnal Green in 2010 and ending in Phoenix, Arizona. I've been lucky enough to box everywhere from The O2 Arena, T-Mobile (Arena) in (Las) Vegas, Alexandra Palace, Manchester Arena to Guadalajara in Mexico.
“For a boy from Islington, it's been some run.”
Ryder won the WBA and WBO interim titles at 168 pounds, although he was never able to claim a full world title, losing both times he challenged. Callum Smith outpointed him in a WBA title fight in 2019 and Canelo Alvarez knocked him down, broke his nose and won a lopsided decision in defense of the undisputed title last May in Guadalajara.
Ryder’s most notable win was a split decision over former middleweight Daniel Jacobs in 2022 and he finished his career with a hard-fought ninth-round knockout loss to Jaime Munguia on Jan. 27 in Phoenix.
“Although I didn’t manage to win that world title, I’ve achieved and experienced more than I could have ever imagined when I first put on a pair of boxing gloves and wouldn’t change that for any belt,” Ryder wrote.
After thanking promoter Matchroom Boxing, trainer Tony Sims, his family and others, Ryder said he plans to work as a trainer alongside Sims.
Wardley-Clark announced
In an attractive heavyweight fight, Fabio Wardley will defend the British and Commonwealth title against Frazer Clarke in a fight that has been discussed for a year or so.
They will square off on Sunday, March 31 (Peacock in U.S., Sky Sports in U.K.) at The O2 in London. Boxxer announced the fight on Saturday during the undercard of the Joshua Buatsi-Dan Azeez light heavyweight title eliminator. Wardley and Clarke were on hand to kick off the promotion and go face to face.
Wardley (17-0, 16 KOs), 29, is coming off his biggest win on Oct. 28, when he knocked out then-unbeaten David Adeleye in the seventh round to retain the British title and win the vacant Commonwealth title on the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be headlining what will be a massive show at the iconic O2 Arena,” Wardley said. “I’ve fought there a lot before so it’s like a home away from home for me. As a seasoned former Olympian, Frazer Clarke is definitely the most well-schooled boxer I’ll have ever faced, but there’s some lessons you can’t learn in school.
“I've got more than enough firepower in my arsenal to lay him flat on his back, just like all my other opponents.”
Clarke (8-0, 6 KOs), 32, claimed a bronze medal in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is being moved quickly as a pro given as he’s a bit older for a fighter with only eight bouts. He is coming off a sixth-round knockout of popular Brit Dave Allen in September and before that shut out former world title challenger Mariusz Wach over 10 rounds in June.
“Finally, the fight that I wanted and the fight that the British public wanted,” Clarke said. “The talking is over, it’s here. Headlining the O2 Arena for the British and Commonwealth titles is something I’ve dreamed of. I’m ready to take out Fabio Wardley. There’s been a lot of back and forth but now we can settle it like men.”
Clarke was ordered as mandatory challenger for Wardley’s British title last April but withdrew from the purse bid, sparking hard feelings and accusations that he was ducking Wardley.
“After the outrage last year, this fight has been one that has been really important to make, with fight fans desperate to see it,” Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom said. “I'm really happy to deliver the opportunity to Frazer Clarke against Fabio Wardley, who is a dangerous man and a great champion.”
Pro Boxing Fans appearance
I joined my friends at Pro Boxing Fans to discuss the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk postponement, Anthony Joshua’s upcoming fight against Francis Ngannou, Zhilei Zhang’s fight against Joseph Parker on the undercard and more. Check out the video here:
Quick hits
IBF junior welterweight titlist Subriel Matias is in talks with Matchroom Boxing for a defense against Matchroom fighter Liam Paro (24-0, 15 KOs), 27, an Australian southpaw, that would take place in the early summer in Matias’ native Puerto Rico, a source with knowledge of the discussions told Fight Freaks Unite, confirming a report from Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia. Matias (20-1, 20 KOs), 31, who would make his second defense, has been with Premier Boxing Champions in recent years but is promoted by Fresh Productions and could enter a co-promotional agreement with Matchroom Boxing as part of a deal.
The Japanese Shigeoka brothers will defend their strawweight world titles on the same card March 31 at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan, Kameda Promotions announced at a news conference on Monday. WBC 105-pound titlist Yudai Shigeoka (8-0, 5 KOs), 26, will defend against former WBO titleholder Melvin Jerusalem (21-3, 12 KOs), 29, of the Philippines. Ginjiro Shigeoka (10-0, 8 KOs), 24, will defend the IBF crown versus ArAr Andales (14-2-3, 6 KOs), 24, of the Philippines. The main event is featherweight Tomoki Kameda (40-4, 22 KO), 32, of Japan, a former bantamweight titlist, seeking to avenge an October split decision loss to Lerato Dlamani (20-2, 11 KOs), 29, of South Africa. The bouts will be on the same card as the “Prizefighter” middleweight tournament recently announced by Matchroom Boxing.
British light heavyweight contender Craig Richards (17-3-1, 10 KOs), 33, is a late addition to the Matchroom Boxing “NXT Gen” card on Saturday (DAZN, 2 p.m. ET) at the Indigo at The O2 in London. He will return from a 21-month layoff to face Boris Crighton (12-4, 7 KOs), 30, of Scotland, in a 10-rounder. Richards is 1-2 in his last three bouts but he was highly competitive in decision losses to Dmitry Bivol in world title challenge in 2021 and Joshua Buatsi, who is now Bivol’s mandatory challenger, in his last fight in May 2022.
Show and tell
Zab Judah won six world title belts in two divisions, junior welterweight and welterweight, during a 23-year career of ups and down, but his biggest win by far came was when he went to Cory Spinks’ hometown of St. Louis and, in front of a packed house of more than 20,000 at the Savvis Center, knocked him out in the ninth round to avenge a decision loss from 10 months earlier and win the undisputed welterweight championship in the main event of a Don King-promoted Showtime card. The memorable fight took place on Feb. 5, 2005 — 19 years ago on Monday. Here is a gigantic and ultra rare site poster from the event in my collection.
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Photos: Davis: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Ryder: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing; Shigeoka brothers: Boxing Beat Magazine
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Matias Paro should be a good fight if it comes off
Hopefully Davis finally shows a Killer Instinct. It's something that I've thought lacking. It'd be interesting to get some cutman's opinion on Tyson Fury's cut. And seemingly quick May return. Loaded notebook, thanks!