NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It was two months of build-up for a night 30 years in the making and when they took the big stage, Keyshawn, Kelvin and Keon Davis did not disappoint.
All three boxers won their respective fights Friday night at Scope Arena in front of a sold out crowd of 10,568 fight fans. The spectators included Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander, NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith and former NFL star quarterback Michael Vick.
Sports
PHOTOS: Davis brothers sweep fights at Norfolk Scope
Keyshawn capped off the night with a second round knockout of Gustavo Lemos in the main event. The Norfolk native barely broke a sweat in the opening round and sent Lemos to the canvas three times in round two. The final blow came 1:08 into the stanza, as a series of punches ended in an uppercut to knock out his opponent.
The fight went on as scheduled, despite Lemos weighing in six pounds over the maximum at 141.4 lbs. The television broadcast indicated that his weight had jumped up to 155 lbs this afternoon, but that did not stop Davis from imposing his will on the heavier fighter, who said he and his team never hesitated to take the fight after his opponent came in above the weight.
Keyshawn improved to 12-0 in his professional career with eight knockouts and told the crowd that they can expect to have a World Champion next year. He's now 3-0 in 2024, adding Friday's triumph to a victory over Jose Pedraza in Las Vegas back in February and a July win over Miguel Madueno in Newark.
KELVIN KEEPS RECORD FLAWLESS AGAINST SOLANO
In the fifth bout of the evening, Kelvin Davis left no doubt he came back home to win.
He did so in dominant fashion.
Fighting from a southpaw stance, Davis controlled Yeis Solano in a unanimous decision victory in an eight round welterweight fight.
"It was kind of difficult, staying patient with him," he said. "He was a mover. I just had to listen to my corner, stay focused, and stick to the game plan."
The perseverance paid off in the final seconds of the fight. As the clock ticked down, Davis scored a knock down on Solano that brought the Norfolk Scope into a frenzy.
"I was looking for that leading into the fight but it takes two to tango," Davis said. "I thought he was going to come forward on me, being the shorter opponent. I had to adjust to my game plan and just think it through."
The Columbian started launching a few taunts at Davis and the crowd, drawing the ire of the ten thousand in attendance.
The man known as 'Nite Nite' would start shutting those celebrations down halfway through the bout.
A massive left hand in the fourth round shook Solano up, opening the door for Davis to unleash as the final 10 second came to a close.
The oldest of the three Davis brothers would hit his opponent with another big looping left hand as round five came to a close.
"At times, I did realize, 'I'm at home. I got to do this, I got to do that,'" Kelvin said. "I didn't want to overdo it because at any moment you could get caught with a shot and go down."
Davis improved his record to a perfect 14-0.
KEON TRIUMPHANT IN PRO DEBUT
In his first professional bout, Keon Davis certainly looked like he belonged in the ring.
The 23-year-old claimed a unanimous decision victory over Jalen Moore in a four round welterweight contest in the third match of the night.
"Got the nerves out the way, got the win, so I feel great," Davis said. "The crowd loved me. I'm going to keep putting on great performances every time I come out and go for the stoppage."
The youngest of the three Davis' gave the crowd at Norfolk Scope an early boost of energy right from his entrance. Each round he unleashed a flurry to rock his opponent, but it reached a fever pitch during the fourth round.
Davis hurt Moore with a pair of punches on the ropes that sent him falling backwards, causing a temporary stoppage. Moore tried to rally but Davis continued to hold him at bay with distance management and a couple of big punches.
"It felt great when I heard them cheering in the middle," he said. "I'm punching him in the face and it just turned me up even more."
In front of Keyshawn, who watched ringside, Davis spread his arms open as the final bell rang to claim his first win. Before making his walk out, he got some sage advice from Kelvin.
"He just told me to do stay relaxed because honestly, I was a little tensed up," Keon said. "He knows me, he knew I was a little tense. I just took a deep breath and found myself."
"He showed a lot. He showed skill, he showed defense, offense, he showed strength," Kelvin said. "If that was a six round fight, I'm pretty sure he would have got that guy out of there. I'm real proud of Keon...I'm looking forward to his career."
The judges ultimately scored the fight at 40-36, giving Davis victory in each of the four rounds.
With the first fight and first win out of the way, the younger Davis is building confidence towards a burgeoning career.
"I'm coming. I'm one of them ones out there," he said. "I'm going to be contending for one of the titles in the next two years for sure."
It was a perfect kickstart to his career, which saw its first chapter written in front of a Scope crowd eager to watch one of its own reach a milestone moment.
"I was just happy to be in the moment. I took it all in," he said. "I already knew what I would be here for. I kind of envisioned the whole crowd being here, cheering me on, so I kind of expected this."
