Keyshawn Davis wants to do a first-round demolition job on Denys Berinchyk when they fight at the Madison Square Garden Theater.
Davis, a brilliant talent who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, challenges for a world title for the first time in his career when be boxes Berinchyk, live on Sky Sports in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Berinchyk is an outstanding boxer himself. He has substantially more professional experience than Davis and won Olympic silver himself at London 2012.
He holds the WBO lightweight world championship after an impressive victory over Mexican star Emanuel Navarrete last year.
But despite the calibre of his opponent, Davis insists he can deliver a first-round finish.
Keyshawn Davis faces off with Denys Berinchyk
“I just feel like I’m capable of doing it and I can do it,” Davis told Sky Sports. “Just what I’m capable of doing. I got a second-round knockout [in his last fight against Gustavo Lemos], why can’t I go for the first round?
“It’s a different opponent of course, super different style. But I feel like I’m capable of doing it this fight.”
Berinchyk is an exciting fighter to watch but the Ukrainian is more than all-action brawler.
“He’s a silver medallist like myself,” Davis said. “Now he’s a world champion. He’s coming off his best win, Navarrete. Everybody counted him out of that fight and he showed everybody up.
“He thinks he’s going to do the same thing against me so I’ve got to go in there and just close the show from the first round until whatever round I do stop him in. But I do think I can stop him in the first round, honestly speaking.
“Berinchyk is a tough fighter but he’s fighting ‘The Businessman’.
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Keyshawn Davis put on a show in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia as he knocked Gustavo Lemos to the canvas three times to record a second-round victory
“I feel like I can take advantage of any style,” Davis continued. “He has an aggressive style but he really wants to counterpunch you.
“He wants to keep you uncomfortable, stay in your face, make you miss, make you pay.
“It might look awkward and weird but he’s thinking before every movement.
“You’ve got to be smart in there with someone like him.”
Becoming a world champion at lightweight should, in theory, set Davis up for exciting super-fights in a richly talented division.
But Davis is not holding out hope for a clash with fellow American Gervonta Davis.
“I would love to fight, at 135lbs, the face of boxing. But I feel like he is just too scared to be open to fight an A class fighter. I can’t set my eyes on him because he’s so all over the place,” Davis suggested.
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Keyshawn Davis has already publicly called out Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
“I would love to fight Isaac Cruz,” he added. “I’m just saying.
“He’s a dog, I’m a dog. We both want to be fighting.”
First Davis will relish boxing at Madison Square Garden, the historic venue that has seen the greats of the sport fight there.
“I know I’ve got the talent and the ability to be one of those legends. So it’s not like I’m hoping to be something I know I can become,” he said. “All I’ve got to do is stay on this path. Keep winning, keep knocking people out.”
Watch Denys Berinchyk vs Keyshawn Davis live on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Action from 12.30am on Saturday morning. Stream with NOW.
