_1637195598.jpg)
Keyshawn Davis was on an incredible high following his show-stopping victory over Omar Tienda Bahena last month at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Viewed as his stiffest test, the former Olympic silver medalist punished his foe, forcing referee Albert Earl Brown to call a halt to their bout in the fifth round. As Davis continued to celebrate, unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr., sent what Davis believes was a subliminal message on his social media account.
“Frank Martin really like that,” said Spence Jr.
Martin, who signed with Spence several years ago and fights under his promotional banner, has worked his way up the 135-pound ladder. Still, with Davis unappreciative of what he deemed was an attempt to steal his spotlight, the pair engaged in a back-and-forth war of words on social media.
Although things appeared to get heated, Davis (6-0, 5 KOs) revealed that he holds no ill-will towards Spence, Martin, or anyone else in their stable. However, with both fighters currently campaigning in the same weight division, Davis is well aware that they could be on a collision course. If, or in Davis’s opinion, when they eventually meet in the center of the ring, he’ll leave the 27-year-old contender motionless on the canvas.
“It ain’t no beef,” said Davis during a recent interview with BoxingScene.com. “I feel like Frank Martin is a solid fighter and he actually can fight. I’m not gonna say he can’t fight. I did one time say that he’s not ready for me and I still stand on that. I feel like my power is slept on. I feel like I fight at a fast pace and I pick it up round by round. I definitely feel like I can stop Frank Martin.”
Normally a man of few words, Martin (16-0, 12 KOs) has stayed true to his persona. When last seen, the hard-hitting southpaw registered his second consecutive knockout victory. This time, at the expense of Jackson Marinez.
But while Martin continues to make his way up the lightweight ranks, the career of Davis is very much in its infancy stages. Ultimately, Davis admits that he still has quite a bit of work to do before he becomes a more recognizable name. However, if a showdown against Martin were to come to fruition in his very next fight, Davis is merely of the belief that no matter how impressive Martin has been throughout his career, he’s simply one level above him.
“I didn’t really have the opportunity yet to show how great I am because I’m still in development stages in terms of my opponents. I feel like me and Frank Martin, I feel like that would be a good fight. But, I just feel like his boxing style, I seen that all my life. He’s not coming with anything I never seen before. I’m just greater than what he is.”