LAS VEGAS – “The Businessman” handled his assignment accordingly Saturday night.
Keyshawn Davis, a heavily hyped lightweight prospect, picked apart tough veteran Esteban Sanchez for five-plus rounds on his way to a technical-knockout victory at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 23-year-old Davis, a 2021 Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, moved to 5-0 and recorded his fourth knockout against an opponent who competed in his 20th professional fight.
Referee Robert Hoyle stopped what had become a completely one-sided fight at 2:44 of the sixth round. ESPN aired Davis’ impressive victory as the co-feature before 130-pound champions Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez met in the main event.
“He’s a great fighter,” Davis told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna following his win. “I didn’t really realize that until the first round. I said, ‘Wow! This guy can fight.’ He’s great fighter, a respectable fighter. Hat’s off to Esteban Sanchez. … I loved this fight because it challenged me.”
The 23-year-old Sanchez (18-2, 8 KOs), of Conroe, Texas, lost by TKO for the second time in a pro career he launched nearly five years ago.
Davis picked up in the sixth round where he left off during a lopsided fifth round. He basically beat up a tough but overmatched Sanchez until Hoyle had seen enough and stepped between them.
Sanchez stayed in the pocket for most of the third and fourth rounds and took Davis’ power well, but that changed during a completely one-sided fifth round.
Davis rocked Sanchez with a left hook at just about the midway mark of the fifth round. He followed up by hammering Sanchez with power shots that backed him into the ropes.
Davis appeared to buzz Sanchez with another right hand toward the end of the fifth round.
Barely a minute into the second round, Davis backed Sanchez into the ropes with a right-left combination. He continued to land on Sanchez, often in combination, for the remainder of the second round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.