In recent years, American boxing has seen a surge of young, exciting talent, with several breakout stars in their 20s who have attracted huge social media followings. To historically recognize this emerging group, Rush proposed nicknames that would define their era. Back in the 1980s, the sport was dominated by four legendary hall of famers known as “The Four Kings”: “Sugar” Ray Leonard, “Great” Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran. Today, rising stars Gerbonta “Tank” Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Theo Fimolopes Jr. have drawn comparisons to that era’s charisma, even though they lack the same level of opposition and activity.
In 2023, boxing writer and podcaster Kieran Mulbany dubbed them “The Four Princes” ahead of the superfight between Davis and Garcia, marking the first matchup among these fighters. However, Garcia preferred the nickname “Four Horsemen,” though he was cautious about using the term without a significant accomplishment, so it hasn’t fully caught on yet.
The scene grew more competitive in 2016 when Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson won world titles across three weight classes after moving to lighter divisions. Despite suggestions to rename the group “Five Princes,” the arrival of undefeated WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KOs) at 26 years old, also a 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, hinted at the need for a sixth member. Yet, Davis, often called a “businessman,” prefers to remain independent, explaining that he views himself as hunting these other fighters rather than being part of a collective group.
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Davis confidently stated that while others preceded him professionally by a few years, he hunts them and considers himself the best of his generation, uninterested in rankings and comparisons. As part of a boxing family known as “DB3,” Davis supports his two brothers, including a 23-year-old junior middleweight and a 26-year-old unbeaten welterweight.
Davis believes he has no true rivals among his contemporaries and envisions himself becoming the pound-for-pound king and the biggest pay-per-view star in the sport. Following criticism of his friend Stevenson for avoiding tough fights against Dominican southpaws in 2023, Davis laughed off concerns about opponent Edwin de los Santos’s punching power, boldly vowing to knock him out.
His confidence is backed by impressive wins, such as a dominant performance against Ukraine’s 2012 Olympic silver medalist Belinczyk, earning the WBO junior middleweight title with a fourth-round stoppage. Davis credits Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather as his biggest inspirations, noting Mayweather even watched him and his brother spar and expressed belief in their potential.
Known for sharp accuracy and knockout power, Davis promises surprises in his upcoming fight against de los Santos. He recalled how his fans were shocked by his quick knockouts of Lemos and Belinczyk and issued a warning that something equally unexpected will happen in this bout.
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Fan Take: This emerging generation, led by fighters like Keyshawn Davis, represents the future of American boxing, blending skill, charisma, and social media savvy to elevate the sport’s profile. For fight fans, watching these young stars carve their legacies promises thrilling matchups and a revitalized passion for boxing’s place in the global fight scene.
