Keyshawn Davis just flushed his title, his credibility, and an entire ESPN card down the drain — all because he couldn’t do the one thing every fighter signs up to do: make weight. On the eve of what was supposed to be his triumphant homecoming at Scope Arena in Norfolk, he strolled in heavy and left stripped of the WBO lightweight belt. The fight with Edwin De Los Santos? Dead. Gone. Canceled.
This is an embarrassment. Not just for Davis, but for every fan who bought tickets, planned travel, or tuned in for a proper world title scrap. This was supposed to be the biggest boxing night Norfolk’s had in years. Now? A last-minute shuffle job to salvage a card Davis just wrecked.
This wasn’t a surprise — it was negligence
Davis has been flaking around at this weight for a while. The warnings were there. If you’re a world champion and you can’t hit the contracted weight in your hometown, where everything is handed to you on a plate — then you don’t deserve to call yourself champion. Spare us the excuses. This wasn’t about illness or injury. This was about discipline, or the lack of it. And now he’s stripped. Rightfully.
And don’t forget: this wasn’t just any night. This was ESPN’s main event. Top Rank invested real money. De Los Santos came prepared. He made weight like a pro. Now he flies home with nothing. No paycheck, no fight, and no apology from Davis. Just silence.
Who cleans up the mess? Mason and Nakathila
So now we’re left with Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremia Nakathila — a decent fight, but not what anyone paid for. Mason is a good prospect, maybe great. Nakathila is solid. But let’s be honest — this isn’t a main event, it’s a bandage on a busted card. Same with Kelvin Davis vs. Nahir Albright now being bumped up to co-feature. These are undercard fights, not headline acts.
You can stream the full thing live, sure. You can still walk into Scope Arena and pretend this card holds weight. But let’s not pretend we don’t know what really happened here: a young, hyped fighter blew it big, and no one’s stepping up to say it loud.
Refunds and rearrangements don’t fix a ruined event
Top Rank is now telling fans to request refunds — by 5 p.m. Saturday, just hours before the show. That’s not generosity. That’s damage control. This entire event was sold on the back of Keyshawn Davis and his title shot. The fact they’re still charging full price for a card that was gutted by his incompetence is a slap in the face.
Boxing has a long list of stupid cancellations and unprofessional blunders. This one ranks high. And unless Davis owns it publicly — and pays back every cent — he’s just another coddled prospect who folded under real pressure.
Event Info:
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Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
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Venue: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
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Start Time: 6 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. UK
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Broadcaster: LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
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Refund Deadline: Saturday, June 7, 5 p.m. (local)
Updated Main Fights:
• Abdullah Mason 134.5 lbs vs. Jeremia Nakathila 134.8 lbs
(Mason’s NABO & NABF Lightweight Titles— 10 Rounds)
• Kelvin Davis 140 lbs vs. Nahir Albright 139 lbs
(Vacant Silver US WBC Junior Welterweight Title — 10 Rounds)
• Tiger Johnson 146.5 lbs vs. Janelson Bocachica 146.8 lbs
(Welterweight — 10 Rounds)
• Troy Isley 159.9 lbs vs. Etoundi Michel William 159.7 lbs
(Isley’s NABO Middleweight Title — 10 Rounds)
• Keon Davis 149.2 lbs vs. Michael Velez 149.8 lbs
(Welterweight — 6 Rounds)
• Euri Cedeño 160 lbs vs. Abel Mina 158.9 lbs
(Middleweight— 10 Rounds)
• Deric Davis 134.2 lbs vs. Naheem Parker 136.3 lbs
(Lightweight — 6 Rounds)
• Patrick O’Connor 199 lbs vs. Marcus Smith 190.6 lbs
(Cruiserweight — 4 Rounds)
This ain’t just about one fighter screwing up, it’s about fans getting robbed of a promised event! Refunds should be automatic, not something we gotta chase down last minute 💸.
‘Make weight or don’t show up’ should be a rule now cause fighters like him messing up whole events! Nobody paying big bucks to see backup matches on ESPN 😠.
I think this shows Keyshawn too spoiled by promoters and media hype. He thought being in his hometown meant he could slack off and still shine. That’s not how champions act at all.
Exactly! He had all the advantage being home and still blew it! That’s plain lazy, not professional boxing behavior 👎.
‘Champion’ is earned every day, not just in the ring but in the prep too. And Keyshawn failed that test badly!
Why should we keep supporting fighters who let us down? I bought tickets for a championship bout not a reshuffled lineup. If this was any other job, he’d be fired by now 🔥.
This ain’t no accident. Dude been missing weight signs before and nobody did nothing. That’s on him and his team! He don’t deserve another shot till he proves he got real discipline 📉.
I don’t care what people say, this whole thing proves Keyshawn ain’t ready for the big leagues. If you can’t be serious about your own fight, then don’t expect fans to take you serious either 😤.
Keyshawn had one job and he didn’t do it. How hard is it to make weight when that’s literally your profession? He should be fined more than just losing the title. People spent money for nothing!