Keyshawn Davis’ tenure as the WBO Lightweight Champion ended abruptly before he even stepped into the ring for his first title defense. Davis failed to make the 135-pound weight limit by a significant margin on the Friday weigh-in, coming in at 139.3 pounds, which resulted in him being stripped of his title ahead of his scheduled Saturday bout against Edwin de los Santos. The fight was ultimately called off after both camps could not reach a resolution due to the weight discrepancy. De los Santos weighed 134.7 pounds and was still eligible to win the belt had the fight proceeded.
The event, broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+, continued with the main event featuring Abdullah Mason against Jeremia Nakathila. Mason is an undefeated promising prospect with an 18-0 record and 16 knockouts, while Nakathila has faced top competition including Shakur Stevenson and Miguel Burchelt.
Following Davis’ weight miss, negotiations to save the fight stalled, with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz confirming there was no fight at the moment. Davis’ promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, criticized Davis’ approach to weight cutting, insisting the fighter never genuinely tried to hit the 135-pound mark. Davis himself admitted post-weigh-in that he had exceeded the limit, explaining that despite making the weight successfully for over four years, recent timing and weight fluctuations worked against him.
Davis expressed confidence that the show would go on despite the setback.
Fan Take: This situation is a stark reminder of the strict discipline required to compete at the highest levels of boxing, especially in weight-class divisions. For fight fans, it marks a significant disruption, but it also underscores the importance of professionalism and how a single misstep can change the trajectory of a promising fighter’s career and the landscape of the lightweight division.
