Keyshawn Davis Says January 31 Is His Takeover Moment

Keyshawn Davis believes January 31 is the night his career turns from promise into proclamation.

The former Olympic silver medalist will face Jamaine Ortiz on The Ring’s “Ring 6” card at Madison Square Garden, marking Davis’ debut at 140 pounds. A win would steady his return. A stoppage, in Davis’ telling, would do much more than that.

“When I knock Jamaine out on January 31, they’re gonna be saying Keyshawn is the next face of boxing,” Davis said during an appearance on The Last Stand with Brian Custer. “I genuinely feel like that.”

The confidence is deliberate. Davis was moving quickly before last summer’s derailment, when his planned homecoming bout in Norfolk collapsed after he missed weight by more than four pounds. The failure cost him his WBO lightweight title and cancelled the fight outright. The night deteriorated further when Davis and his younger brother Keon were involved in a backstage altercation following Kelvin Davis’ loss to Nahir Albright.

Since then, Davis has been inactive, stripped of leverage and removed from the forward track he had been on. January 31 represents his first opportunity to reset the record.

Ortiz enters the fight with quiet stability. The 29 year old has won three straight bouts, two by stoppage, and has built a reputation as a durable, awkward problem who rarely cooperates with expectations. He is not positioned as a showcase opponent, which makes Davis’ public certainty stand out.

Davis has also reshaped his corner. He is no longer working with longtime trainer Brian McIntyre, a separation Davis believes was necessary as he enters a new phase of his career.

“In 2026, I’ll be on that pound for pound list,” Davis said to Brian Custer’s site. “Y’all gonna be looking at Keyshawn like he’s ready to take over.”

That ambition is clear. The gap between saying it and earning it is what January 31 will begin to test.