Keyshawn Davis: The Boxing Legacy and the Unconditional Support of “The 757”
Keyshawn Davis, WBO lightweight champion, remembers the day boxing legend Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker walked into a recreation center in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. Davis, then a preteen, was there to support his older brother, Kelvin, who was competing in the event. The Davis brothers, Keyshawn, Kelvin, and Keon (known as DB3), dreamed of leaving “The 757” and becoming world boxing champions. Following in the footsteps of local Hampton Roads legends, which includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News, was a challenge due to rising crime rates, multigenerational poverty, and the lack of affordable housing in the city.It’s very difficult to get out of here because we don’t have the resources that other cities have. If an athlete wants to leave “The 757”, they have to be the golden child.
Keyshawn Davis
Whitaker, a four-division world champion, became an inspiration for Davis. Seeing him support his brother, Davis’s dream of being a world champion became tangible.
Whitaker helped the Davis brothers by being present at the gym, offering them advice and teaching them boxing techniques before his death in 2019.Davis is Norfolk’s first boxing world champion since Whitaker, and follows an extraordinary line of athletes from the area, such as former NFL quarterback and current Norfolk State football coach Michael Vick, NBA icon Allen Iverson, and NFL all-time sack leader Bruce Smith, among others.
In Keyshawn’s fights, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander can be seen alongside Vick, Smith, and Iverson, supporting “The Businessman.” This support from local legends is not unusual in this area, where community pride is palpable.
Support is in our DNA. This connection to legacy and family may not be by blood, but you are family because you are part of the “the 757” structure. We don’t take it lightly. He is one of us and, therefore, receives unconditional support.
Kenny Alexander, Mayor of Norfolk
The tradition of supporting athletes is not new. Vick grew up watching Whitaker at the local Boys & Girls Club and once saw Smith at a Hampton University football game. These experiences inspired his pursuit of greatness, and Vick has made supporting Davis a priority.
We have to support Keyshawn. He is our champion, so people like me, Bruce Smith, Mayor Alexander, and Allen Iverson have to show the world how we support our own. Now, when he goes to other places, people know he has people like us in his network. We will make sure he is okay.
Michael Vick
Davis was excited about a recent phone call with Iverson and Vick, where he received advice and support from two athletes who marked an era in his area.
Vick plans to be in the front row at Davis’s next fight. “We have to appreciate these moments to see him,” Vick said. “As a city, we have to appreciate these moments because we may not have another Keyshawn fight in Norfolk. It’s so good that, eventually, all his fights will be in Las Vegas.”
Keyshawn has a long way to go before matching the success of Whitaker, who was a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games. However, at 26 years old and with an Olympic silver medal from the Tokyo 2020 Games, he is on his way. Davis is the latest high-caliber talent to emerge from “The 757,” and is likely not the last due to the region’s composition and the commitment of these local stars to the community.Top Rank Boxing: Keyshawn Davis “grew up idolizing Pernell, not just for what he did inside the ring, but for what he meant and still means to the [Norfolk] community.”
With the proclamation from the city council declaring the week of June 2nd to 8th as “Keyshawn Davis Week” in Norfolk, Davis’s goal of following in the footsteps of his idol inside and outside the ring is becoming a reality.I always told myself that I was going to work within the city, so that people know that I am the city, and I am for the city. I need people to support me so that we can go as far as possible.
Keyshawn Davis
You have a melting pot of talents, and the secret sauce is that mix of ideas, beliefs, drive, and courage. That’s what sets Norfolk and “the 757” apart. We are people who are not trained to be perfect; we are trained to be consistent. Norfolk will give birth to consistent talents. Some people are only there for a moment. We are not people of moments. We are a movement.
Kenny Alexander, Mayor of Norfolk
Movement is the reason why accomplished athletes like Vick return home and give back. Before accepting the job at Norfolk State in December, Vick had a more lucrative offer on the other side of the country at Sacramento State. But the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback knew where his heart was and what he needed to do.
There was more money involved, but I turned all of that down to come back home. While someone might think that was a crazy decision, sometimes in life it’s not all about the money. We have people in our community who really care about the youth and support them.
Michael Vick
Giving back is also a great motivation for Davis, but the cornerstone of everything is his success inside the ring.
Davis, considered a future pound-for-pound fighter who trains with world champions like Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson, has a style that sits between Crawford’s vicious offense and Stevenson’s elite technical ability. Davis has cultivated a fan base by being dominant and entertaining.
He needed only four rounds to dismantle undefeated Ukrainian boxer Denys Berinchyk and become a world champion in February. He is already targeting fights at 140, 147, and 154 pounds and believes the best is yet to come.Davis has the tools to become a revolutionary like those who came before him, but Vick’s advice is for Keyshawn to be aware of everything around him.When all is said and done, they will call me one of the greatest of all time. I may not be the biggest star right now, so many of these guys don’t want to risk fighting me. I already have the skill, but once I reach a certain status, they won’t be able to run from me any longer.
Keyshawn Davis
Davis, who recently became a father, has a lot at stake with his success and said he is focused on his goals.
I told myself I wasn’t going to fail. There’s no pressure for me to succeed because success is the mindset of ‘The 757’. That’s what Michael Vick had, that’s what Allen Iverson had, that’s what Pernell Whitaker had, and that’s what I have. I will show them that I am undeniable and that I represent my city.
Keyshawn Davis
