By Brian Webber: Light-weight prospect Keyshawn Davis is getting his want, dealing with Jose Pedraza in a ten spherical conflict on December ninth on the undercard of WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez vs. Rafael Espinoza.
It is a Prime Rank-promoted card in Pembroke Pines, Florida. It’s a dangerous struggle for the 24-year-old Keyshawn (10-0, 6 KOs), as he regarded one thing terrible earlier this month in opposition to Nahir Albright, getting staggered by him and virtually dropping in a ten spherical affair.
It’s honest to say that Keyshawn ought to win this struggle handily, because the 34-year-old Pedraza has misplaced two out of his final three fights since final yr and hasn’t regarded just like the fighter he as soon as was since 2016.
ESPN studies that Keyshawn will face Pedraza on December ninth on the Robeisy vs. Espinoza card.
Even when Keyshawn wins this struggle, he’d be kidding himself if he thinks he beat the prime model of Pedraza as a result of that man is lengthy gone. Pedraza has had a number of arduous fights since his loss to Gervonta Davis in 2017, and it’s aged him a bit of.
Pedraza made a mistake along with his profession by shifting as much as 140 shortly after his loss to Vasily Lomachenko at 135 in 2018. ‘Sniper’ Pedraza will need to have thought that shifting as much as gentle welterweight can be the reply to his issues, however that simply made issues worse for him as a result of since his transfer up in weight, he’s misplaced thrice to those fighters:
Jose ZepedaJose RamirezArnold Barboza Jr.
Pedraza ought to have moved again down in weight to 135 after his loss to Zepeda in 2019. If he had turned to the light-weight or the tremendous featherweight divisions, he may have saved himself some losses.
What was actually telling was Pedraza coming near dropping to Richard Commey final yr of their struggle that was scored a ten spherical draw.
Keyshawn was victorious, but it surely was a kind of fights that made you query whether or not he’s minimize out for the game as a result of struggling at this early stage means that he gained’t be a world champion with out cautious maneuvering by Prime Rank.
All the issues in Keyshawn’s recreation that had been uncovered by Cuban Andy Cruz within the 2020 Olympics had been nonetheless current, and Albright took benefit of them.
If Albright had been extra aggressive early on, he would have overwhelmed Keyshawn. Prime Rank would then want to consider dumping him. Curiously, Keyshawn’s promoters aren’t working it again with Albright as a result of that’s an opponent that they need to be returning to.
It could possibly be that Prime Rank has some considerations about whether or not Keyshawn may beat Albright the second time round as a result of he had him all discovered from the sixth spherical, and dominated the 2020 Olympian within the final half of the struggle.
In a rematch, Albright would begin the place he left off, stress Keyshawn, and work him over with combos like he did from the sixth spherical.
If Keyshawn fails to impress in opposition to Pedraza, it is perhaps time for Prime Rank to chop him adrift and give attention to constructing Shakur Stevenson as a result of they’re each in the identical weight class. Keyshawn won’t ever beat Shakur, and he’ll by no means get an opportunity to face Gervonta Davis.
If Keyshawn strikes as much as 140, he would possibly enhance as a result of they’re a bit of slower there, but it surely’s not a great sign that he’s fighting the facility of the fighters at 135.
You wouldn’t need to see Prime Rank match Keyshawn in opposition to lightweights like William Zepeda, Edwin De Los Santos, Tank, and Raymond Muratalla as a result of these guys can punch.
If Keyshawn targets the WBO light-weight belt, he may win that one as soon as Devin Haney vacates, however he might not maintain onto it for lengthy if Zepeda turns into his obligatory.
