In the world of professional boxing, promoter Eddie Hearn has thrown down the gauntlet to rising lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis, questioning his eagerness to face 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz. With Davis having hinted at a desire to face Cruz after his bout against Bryan Zamarripa, Hearn’s public call-out adds a tantalizing layer to the narrative surrounding this matchup.
The genesis of this brewing confrontation traces back to a now-deleted tweet from Davis, expressing interest in a showdown with Cruz, should he emerge victorious against Zamarripa. Hearn, seizing the moment, affirmed his willingness to make the fight happen, only to find Davis retracting his digital footprint - a move that has sparked speculation about Davis’s true intentions and readiness to face a boxer of Cruz’s caliber.
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Cruz’s amateur dominance over Davis, marked by a series of unequivocal victories, casts a long shadow over the proposed professional bout. Hearn’s assertion that a fight with Cruz would be akin to “taking candy from a baby” underscores the perceived gap in skill between the two fighters, positioning Cruz as the proverbial mountain Davis has yet to climb. The question now is not just about the feasibility of the fight, but whether Davis harbors genuine aspirations to rewrite the script against his storied adversary.
The potential implications of a Davis-Cruz fight extend beyond personal redemption for Davis. With Top Rank’s protective matchmaking coming under scrutiny, a decisive victory for Cruz could potentially derail Davis’s career trajectory. Conversely, should Davis step up and secure a win against Cruz, it would not only silence his doubters but also catapult him into the upper echelons of the lightweight division, challenging the likes of Teofimo Lopez, Vasily Lomachenko, and Shakur Stevenson for supremacy.
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