Keyshawn Davis is ready to take his career to new heights as he challenges WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk tonight at the Hulu Theater in New York. Lauded as a future star, Davis will have his work cut out for him against the crafty Ukrainian champion.
Boxing odds have Davis a -700 favorite, and champion Berinchyk is a +475 underdog.
My top Berinchyk vs. Davis predictions and free betting picks expect Davis to take this via decision.
Berinchyk vs Davis prediction and pick
- My fight prediction
Davis moneyline (-700 at DraftKings) - My best bet
Davis by decision (-115 at DraftKings)
Fight analysis
Denys Berinchyk may not be the flashiest of fighters, but he’s technically gifted and is a product of the Eastern European school of boxing where he doesn’t waste any movement, stays calm under pressure and can tough it out. He is one of the three gold medalists from the illustrious 2012 Ukrainian Olympic Team, sharing the honor with both Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk. Unlike those two, however, Berinchyk didn’t experience the rapid rise to greatness and has taken a more deliberate approach to his career, winning his first world title at 36. He is coming off the upset win over Emmanuel Navarrete where he won a split decision that should have been unanimous, outworking and outlanding the favored Navarrete and staying awkward enough that he couldn’t get in a rhythm.
Davis is not taking his time to make a name for himself, challenging for a world title in his 13th professional fight, and has been hyped to the heavens as a top prospect waiting for his breakout performance. It is not surprising that he is so heavily favored considering how good he’s looked in recent years and his growth potential is outstanding. Not only is he going to be the younger fighter, but he’s taller, more athletic, and doesn’t need to generate momentum to start his offense like Navarrete did.
However, this is a risky fight for Davis. This is a seasoned opponent who is coming off a win against a potential Hall of Famer, which is a stark upgrade compared to who he’s faced lately. Furthermore, Berinchyk won the title as an underdog, so he’s not going to be affected by defending it as one, either. His years of experience and technical abilities will present Davis with some frustrating moments, and he’ll need to get Davis off his rhythm early and often. Still, Davis should be athletic enough and more willing to take chances than Navarrete did.
Where Berinchyk was able to win a sloppy fight over the smaller Navarrete, I can’t see him winning the same kind of fight against Davis, especially when he’s going to be at a disadvantage in both power and speed. He won’t be able to use his size and push Davis around as he did for Navarette, so I don’t expect a similar performance from the champion. If anything, expect Berinchyk to fight more methodically here, perhaps in an attempt to diffuse Davis and prevent him from getting on the inside, but he won’t be able to win this fight going backward.
I believe Davis will push the fight and he’ll manage to beat Berinchyk to win his first world title.
Best best analysis
While Berinchyk will try to slow things down, I don’t see how he’ll manage to keep Davis off him. We’ve seen Davis look explosive and he has excellent power and finishing abilities, but Berinchyk is a proven fighter and will force Davis to go the distance. So while he may not punch Berinchyk out early, I see him taking over in the middle rounds and winning by decision as my best bet.
Denys Berinchyk vs Keyshawn Davis odds
| Method of victory | Berinchyk | Davis |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | +475 | -700 |
| Win by KO/TKO | +1800 | +155 |
| Win by points or decision | +650 | -115 |
| Draw | +2000 | +2000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 2-14.
Denys Berinchyk vs Keyshawn Davis tale of the tape
| Berinchyk | Davis | |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Age | 25 |
| 5-foot-7 | Height | 5-foot-9 |
| Lightweight | Weight Class | Lightweiht |
| 67 inches | Reach | 70 inches |
| 19-0 | Record | 12-0-1 |
| 19 | Wins by KO | 8 |
Not intended for use in MA.
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