Speaker 1: Well, it's my great pleasure to be join on the
podcast once again by Keishawn Davis. You are going to
be challenging for a lightweight world title coming up. First
of all, thank you very much for being on the show.
I must be good luck because you scored a quick
knockout the last time we talked before your last fight.
Speaker 2: Hey, let's see it.
Speaker 1: All right, Well, just so we'll tell the people you
are getting ready to challenge Denny's Barentchiks for the WBO
lightweight world title. It will take place on February fourteenth.
It is the main event of the Top Rank ESPN
card that will take place at the Theater at Madison
Square Garden in New York. Before we get into that, Kisha,
I want to talk a little bit about the last
fight because there was some drama and it was certainly
an interesting situation the whole thing. So that was on
November eighth, you were headlining your first professional fight in
your hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. You scored, as I mentioned,
a quick second round knockout against Gustavo Lemos. Before the fight,
when we had done the interview for the podcast, you
talked about it being your dream that you and your
brothers had talked about to fight at home and to
make a big event about it. And now that you
had that happened, I wondered, did the did the did
the reality live up to the dream that you and
your brother has talked about for so many years?
Speaker 2: Honestly, No, it's surpassed it really. Hell yeah, Like we
always kept saying it's gonna be big, like it's gonna
be big, it's gonna sell out. But what happened that
weekend was huge, Like people was raving about this fight
all the way into the following weekend. You know, we
getting bookings now, people paying us to do walk dudes
and all that type of shit. Man, we wet them
made so we made a lot of money outside the
ring house. I'll tell you that now, you know what
I'm saying. So it definitely surpassed our expectations. And you know,
all glory to God. Man.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because it was, like you said, it was a
tremendous event. There was a huge crowd there. So that
makes me curious about your response to this. When you
were getting ready for the fight, obviously you know you're pro.
You weighed in, you made your weight. It was one
hundred and thirty five pound fight and Limos he comes
in on the day before, he's one hundred and forty
one and a half pounds. He's six and a half
pounds over. He didn't miss by half a pound we've
seen or a pound like that's a dramatic amount of way.
He's technically now two weight classes above as a welterweight
because he's over one forty. That puts everybody, you, your team,
top ranked television, everybody in a tough spot. But it
was your night, You're the start of the show. How
how close was it to even that you might not fight?
Like what was going through your mind when he was
so heavy?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was thinking that he probably might not fight
because we was hoping that he didn't come the next
day too much overweight. And that's what me and my
team was doing. Was fermore that we agreed to await
for the next day that he can't go over this.
And I was like, Okay, even if he a pound
over that I'm gonna steal. I'm gonna still fight, you know.
So I was trying to do everything I can to
make a fight happen. Like we was like, I forgot
what weight it was the next day, but it was like,
he can't go over one forty six. And I was like, man, man,
even if he like one forty seven, I'm gonna still
fight him at the end of the day. Like what's
one pound gonna do? You know what I'm saying. So
I was really doing everything in my power to make
a fight happen still, but we just couldn't. We just
couldn't give him too much leaning And see you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1: Was there any concern though when you saw him way
I mean that much overweight. I've seen fights cancel for
way less weight than that.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Nah. Also, real shit, this is exactly what happened
before the weiyns yep, before the weigh inns. We had
the trial scale. It was all backstage and I stepped
on the scale and I was good. Yeah. So then
I turned around Limbos right there. I'm like, oh shit,
well bet I'm not see how much seeweight. So he
stepped in that scale. I see my teaweight. I was like,
this is exactly what happens. It's true story. I said,
oh shit, let's go twenty percent. Let's do it. It's
twenty percent. I don't give it down percent d D
d DA. But they but politically they was like man
keishaw on the commission side, like he's so much overweight,
we gotta do this, we gotta do that fight all
that type of shit. So it was just more than
just a twenty percent that I was just preaching about.
But once I see that he was that much overweight,
it was like, oh my god, I's just like twenty percent,
let's do it. I don't give it.
Speaker 1: Like when you say twenty percent, you're talking about some
extra money that would be coming your way.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, because I was.
Speaker 1: Saying sometimes commissions if it's the spreads to why they
don't allow. But anyway, all right, the fight ended up happening.
Uh fortunately for everybody. It turned out to be a
great knight. But you went out there and just destroyed
him in two rounds. A lot of people are like, well,
he may be too big this and that was it
as easy as it looked because you just went through
him like a knife through hot butter.
Speaker 2: Seemed like to me, Yeah, honestly, it was easy as
it looked. Honestly, like the first round, like I didn't
do nothing with him but jab him moving around, starting
him out type shit. See what he got. Everybody came
talking about his power, So I just want to see
what his power was talking about. You know, after that
first round, you know, you come, You're gonna come to
your heart as your first round because that's what you got,
your most energy. So I'm like, okay, well that's all
he got. Well I'm gonna start letting my shit go.
My first parts that I really been with and knocked
him down. So it was like, well, okay, like it's
trying to give him up.
Speaker 1: Out of year, and you sure did that. And so
now that leads you to this particular fight, which obviously
is for a world championship against Brentchick. Now, before uh,
this fight was official back again, this was the interview
that we did prior to you taking on Limos, Uh,
I mean yeah, against Gustabo Lemos, you were talking to
me about how you were hoping that a win would
lead you to this fight with Brentchick, that you and
he had had some exchanges on you know, your social
media direct messages that you thought this would be the
next fight. But I wonder if you could talk to
me about how how did you actually find out that
you officially had this chance to fight for the world title.
And what was your reaction when you found out that
it was real and it was happening.
Speaker 2: It was real, I can say, like fight wee go Gustavo.
They just kept saying, you know it's next, right, I'm like, uh,
now it's next. He was like, you get a job
done right here? You go off with who was telling
you this? Tot right, okay, Tod Rank for sure was
telling me that things like you gotta get a job
done first though, and when he kept saying that, it
was kind of making me nervous and shit, like, oh,
I'm gonna get a job then, why you gotta keep
telling me that you know what I'm saying. But other
than that, like I knew like fight leek of Gustavo and.
Speaker 1: Shoot now we hear now, I'm sure like you dreamed
about fighting at home, Any young fighter is gonna dream
about fighting for a world title. So can you just
sort of give me now that it's you know, we're
a little way away from the fight, but you know
it's coming quickly and you're gonna be in there fighting
for this championship. Just give me your thoughts about your
your level of anticipation, anxiety, excitement, nervousness, whatever. It is,
just your emotions about what will be, you know, the
most significant fight of your career by far, and something
that when your career is over with, will be something
that will be a landmark, benchmark kind of fight in
your career.
Speaker 2: Right, my first one. Right, Excuse me, honestly, bro, if
you want my mind as a chan I don't have
no as of right now, I don't have no nervousness,
no anticipation, no anxiety or not. And that like, I'm
just in training camp, training for another fight, honestly, And
I'm not really the type person that get into all
the enthusiastics. I understand I'm saying, oh I'm at the
MNG or oh it's for my first word title. I'm
just taking it like this is another goddamn fight for
me because I know at the end of the day,
I got I got a ten year, ten more years
ahead of me. I'm twenty five, I can retire when
I'm thirty five, you know what I'm saying. So it's
gonna be bigger fights than this. So starting now, I
just got to make sure I stay level with hit
and stay calm because he's just gonna do nothing but
get bigger and bigger after this.
Speaker 1: Well, you mentioned about you know your age and potentially
retiring at thirty five. He's already thirty six. He's eleven
years older than you, and I mean in boxing, that
would seem to be most people, a very significant advantage,
even though he's preserved. He's only got nineteen fights professionally,
you've only got twelve fights. There's not that big of
a difference. He had a long amateur curd twenty twelve
Olympics silver medal winner, yourself, twenty twenty Olympic silver medal winner.
What sort of like your scatting report on him, because
he's had a career that was sort of like under
the radar before he even won this title.
Speaker 2: Oh my scattering report. Honestly, I know that he got
a lot of experience, Like at the end of the day,
he been through the same trials and tribulations and the
amateurs that I've been through. And now that he pro
and he became a world champion, like he he did
it all. You know what I'm saying. Don't say he
was the Olympics. Now you're a world champion. He better
defend it like he he actually did great for himself
as a as a as a fighter. At the end
of the day, you know what I'm saying, he's undefeated,
he never lost, like all credit to Baaranshape, Bro, Like, shit,
you you did it. You you made it, my nigga.
You know what I'm saying. Unfortunately that you gotta fight
somebody like me that's gonna just gonna take it from
you as soon as you get it. But like scouting report, like,
as a guy like him, you can't take him lightly, bro,
because he done seen it all, and he done it all,
and he's he's a veteran at this shit. You know
what I'm saying. So I like, for my first world
trying to fight stylistically, man, this is it can't really
get no better than this. Honestly, he's an undefeated fighter,
he's an Olympian, and he's a champion. You know what
I'm saying, And everything that he did I'm trying to
do right now, you know what I'm saying. And stylistically,
I feel like shit, this performance definitely can out match
his last one.
Speaker 1: You just mentioned he's undefeated. I was actually looking over
your record before we got on to do this interview,
and this will in fact be the first fighter that
you faced. It is undefeated. Does that Does that add
a little more spice to it to take a guy's
undefeated record who doesn't know how to lose.
Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly it does. I'm not gonna lie and honestly
does man, don't you might want to lose a oh
at the end of the day on top of their belt.
So I know he not going in there. It's just
gonna lay down, Like I know, he's not going there
just for a check like real shit. He's really gonna
give it his all. And if he loses, he loses.
If he wins, he wins, which is not but he's
definitely not going in and lay down. He's gonna give
it his all, and I think he's checkingly gonna make
it a great fight, honestly.
Speaker 1: So when you look at his record, his biggest win,
of course, was when he won this title, which he did.
It was a tough fight, a split decision against Emanuel
never at Te. This was back last May, soil have
been off about nine months. Never at It was the
champion at one hundred and thirty was moving up. The
challenge for this title. What were your thoughts if you
saw that fight about the performance that he turned in
to win the title.
Speaker 2: I didn't watch the fight live, but when I heard
that he won, I was definitely surprised, because I mean
I just didn't think navarat was gonna lose, just just
off the strip. I just didn't think he was gonna lose.
But the two fights Navaratai had at one thirty five,
he didn't look good, you know what I'm saying, Like
that's just not the notice weight class. You know, he's
a true one thirty pounder, and he looks best at
one thirty. You know, So at the end of the day,
Baranchi beat a one thirty pounder at the end of
the day. And you know, I went back and watched
his fight with Yigit and stuff like that, and you
know when I thought Yigit, like from round one to
round nine when I stopped him, Bro, it was a
straight completely domination, you know, between him and Yeggy. It
was round it was going back and forth, like back
and forth. Like the fight was fairly close. Even though
he won the fight, he probably wanted to fight probably
like two three rounds, you know, Like I stopped yigg
you know what I'm saying. So just stylistically and like physicality. Stylistically,
he never seen a style like me before, and physicality, Bro,
I don't think he even forced somebody as strong as
me before. Neither Bro. Honestly in terms of him me
seeing him. You know, I've been overseas before, so you know,
I fought people that like to dance in prance around. Shit,
any cruise was dancing and princing around when I was
fighting him and stuff like that, and similar to what
Baranchik is gonna do, you know. But he's thirty six
years old, so he's not gonna He's not gonna be
as you know fresh think. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
So I know he's gonna give it this all at
the end of the day. But his best is I
don't think I know this not can't compete with me.
Speaker 1: Now, you mentioned earlier we talked about you like living
the dream having your first fight at home, you know,
the thing that you and your brothers have talked about.
But now for this fight, fighting for your first world title,
it's taking place at Madison Square, Guarden. I know you
mentioned that a quick minute ago. That's like one of
the most hollow venues in boxing history. The theater at
the Madison Square Guarden has hosted numerous you know, super
star fighters and you know, big world championship fights and
just great fights for years. It's a very traditional place
for these types of fights. That and it's you're a
headliner in New York City. You know, what are your
thoughts about that? Because you know, not everybody gets to
headline a boxing event in the Big Apple.
Speaker 2: That is crazy, bro. Like my my cousins, I got people,
I got a lot of family out there in New York.
And one of my cousins went to the Knicks game
and she was just happened to be in the city
and she seen my billboard out there and that's my
blood cousin. Like we're a close family, you know what
I'm saying. So she's like, oh my god, lott Cuzed
Like this is a little cuz, Like you know what
I'm saying, Like I was eight nine years old, cities old,
staying at her house and stuff like that. She see
me now she's seen me on the freaking big streen
a MSG, So like it's definitely big man. It's definitely
huge for me. But again, I'm not a person that
just get into all the extra shit. Bro, this is
just another fight for me. I'm gonna go there and
do my thing.
Speaker 1: You can think about it afterwards. I guess I'm kind
of relish and what you did, I suppose. But if
you win the title, which you know a lot of
people are gonna favor you to be the guy that
goes in there and gets the job done. I wonder
what kind of other goals you said. You're only twenty
five year a young fighter, it'll be your first world title.
What other goals would you have? Is it a long
run at lightweight? Is that some guys they win the title,
maybe defend it once or twice and make the quick
move up to another division, trying to go up to
scale as much as they can. What is in your
mind as far as the way you want to map
things out.
Speaker 2: I'm stick to the same thing I've been saying. Man,
once I get this world title, I'm gonna just try
to get all the top the top names in the
ring with me. You know, at the end of the day,
who don't want to become a world champion? You know?
So when I get my world title, you know, I'm
gonna just be throwing a delt in people's face, like, Yo,
you want to fight me, You want to fight me
like all the top names though not know people that
dot you might know a belt. That's my goal, you
know what I'm saying. Of course, you can't make nobody
fight you. You know what I'm saying. But that's what
i want to do. Equal my first defense. In the
rest of my career, I want to fight those names.
I'm gonna fight those real names.
Speaker 1: Well, it seems to me that you know again, I know,
you got to fight the fight to win the title,
but in terms of the future fights with you know,
everybody wants to unify in this way class, it seems
like unifications might be difficult. Shakor is your buddy. He's
got a title, he's off doing this thing in Saudi Arabia.
He's got activity scheduled fight coming up. Maybe he's a
paida mandatory. You've got Tank Davis who has not shown
a real willingness to fight the absolute best of his
own weight class. Lomachenko is you know, we don't know
if he's gonna retire.
Speaker 2: He's with Todd, you know, dang like you're saying that.
Speaker 1: Listen, I just keep it real, keys, that's the way
it is. You both And but anyway, with Lomachenko, his
he's up in the air, he's got the back injury.
Nobody knows if he's gonna come back again. So what
do you think of like your big fight, so to speak,
beyond winning the world title.
Speaker 2: Yeah, if I win the world title, man, it's a
lot of fights out there, like at one thirty five
that that got names. You know what I'm saying, Like, well,
of course, I'm becoming my own star myself, so I
can't really be like I'm gonna get some my ina
that max to star power is me or maybe even
come close. But it's gonna be people that that y'all
well aware of, and that's gonna be able to create
great fights. Y'all gotta you gotta remember that I'm the
one that picked Gustavo for this last fight. Like, I'm
a fighter, I know this, I know the landscape. I
understand what I'm saying. I know how to create a
great fight. You know what I'm saying, Like, I just
know you know what I'm saying, So I can't really
tell you like the exact person I want to go
after this fight because that's not gonna be It's not
gonna be true, you know what I'm saying. But just
know that when I get this power, the power of
the belt into my hands, Keshon the Businessman is gonna
be It's gonna be putting on on great fights. And
I also feel like this fight right here stylistically, it's
a great fight. I agree, twelve oh, nineteen and oh
two Olympians clashing like I mean shit, I feel like
it can't really get no better than it is for
a guy that's fight for his first world title fight
at the end of the day, you know what I'm saying.
So I just gave y'all a great fight with mcgham Duaino,
that Mexican kid. I gave y'all a great fight with Gustavo.
Now I might give you a great fight for my
first world title fight. So I feel like I'm just
living up to every thing that I'm preaching.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I can say Gustava was a
great fight. I think it was a great one sided
ask kicking is what it was. Let me just want
great Yeah, that's true. It's a good event. I'll wrap
up with this. Uh, you know, I know that. I'm
sure you've pictured how the fight's in it go. I
know you have every intention of winning the fights. I'm
not gonna ask you how you you know, think you're
gonna win. But if you could pick, like the best
scenario by which to get the victory, how would how
would you want that to turn out? Just a domination,
a quick knockout, beat him down for a little while, Like,
what's your what's the ideal scenario to realize your dream
of becoming a world champion.
Speaker 2: I want to knock his ass out in the first row, all.
Speaker 1: Right, make it a quick night, right, No, don't get
paid over time.
Speaker 2: Took it easy, man, No, not being a sore my hands,
or just give me a first round knockout. I guess
we'll have to wait and see.
Speaker 1: Well, we'll know the answer on February fourteen. Kishan, thank
you so much for your time. I wish your best
luck in the fight my friends.
Speaker 2: All right, thank you, dam