Despite earlier reports claiming that negotiations fell through over the challenger’s purse demands, both Jake Donovan and Salvador Rodriguez bring word that WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis’ inaugural defense will see him face Edwin De Los Santos on June 7th in Davis’ hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.
It would be hypocritical of me not to point out that De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KO) hasn’t really done anything to earn this opportunity. It’s been 2.5 years since he smashed Jose Valenzuela and nearly 17 months since he fell to Shakur Stevenson in one of the worst title fights you’ll ever see. He’s spent the last year recovering from blood clots, and while I’m fully understanding as a San Antonio Spurs fan, it’s not exactly a track record that screams “title challenger.”
That said, he should give us a banger. He’s among the nastiest hitters in the division when he’s on his game and Davis (13-0, 9 KO) has been on the warpath of late, demolishing Gustavo Lemos and Denys Berinchyk in less than six rounds combined. We’ll let you know if and when Top Rank makes it official.
