By Ian S Palmer
Original article: https://www.sportsbetlistings.com/boxing/keyshawn-davis-vs-jose-pedraza-betting-odds-and-prediction/22732/
Unbeaten former amateur star Keyshawn Davis of Norfolk, Virginia returns to the ring this Thursday, February 8th as he takes on former world super featherweight and lightweight champion Jose Pedraza of Puerto Rico. The 10-round lightweight tilt from Las Vegas, Nevada can be seen live in America on the ESPN platform and in the UK on Sky Sports Arena while Canadian fans can see it on TSN 2. Davis last fought in October when he beat Nahir Albright via a 10-round majority decision to defend his WBO Inter-Continental and WBC USA Lightweight Titles. However, this result was changed to a no-contest after Davis tested positive for marijuana. Pedraza was last in action in February of last year when he dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to Arnold Barboza Jr in a shot at the WBO Inter-Continental Super Lightweight Title.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 28: A general view of the Seniesa Estrada vs Leonela Yudica fight night at Palms Casino Resort on July 28, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
The 24-year-old Davis enters the fight with a perfect record of 9-0 with 6 Ko’s and has fought 62 rounds since making his pro debut in February, 2021. Davis enjoyed a superb amateur career which saw him win silver medals at the 2019 Pan American Games, the 2019 World Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan as a lightweight, losing to Cuba’s Andy Cruz in the final of each of those tournaments. Davis stands 5-feet-9-inches tall with a 70-inch reach and has had no problem adapting to pro boxing as he currently owns a knockout ratio of 66.7 per cent.
The only opponents to go the distance with him so far have been Jose Meza, who went six rounds in May, 2021 but lost every round in a unanimous decision defeat; Juan Carlos Burgos last December, who also lost every round and Francisco Patera last July as he went 10 rounds but was dropped in the eighth and managed to win just one round on one judge’s scorecard. Of course, Albright went the full 10 rounds and earned a draw with one judge but that fight is now a no-contest.
Exceptional speed and power are what Davis brings to the ring as he continues his pro career. Understandably, he’s being brought along cautiously but each opponent he’s faced has entered the ring with a winning record. He now taking the step up in class by facing a former world champion in Pedraza. Davis won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Belt with his win over Burgos in December, 2022 and then picked up the vacant WBC USA Belt when he stopped Anthony Yigit in the ninth round four months later.
Jose Pedraza is winless in his last three outings as he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to former world champion Jose Ramirez in March, 2022, then drew with former world champ Richard Commey over 10 rounds five months later and lost to Barboza in his last outing a year ago. Before that, the 34-year-old was on a three-fight winning streak. His previous defeat was to Jose Zepeda via a 10-round unanimous decision in September, 2019 for the vacant WBC USNBC Junior Welterweight Title.
He bounced back from that loss by beating Mikel LesPierre via a 10-round unanimous decision then downing Javier Molina by 10-round unanimous decision and stopping Julian Rodriguez in eight rounds. Pedraza is a former IBF Super Featherweight Champion who won the vacant belt in June, 2015 when he beat Andrey Klimov by unanimous decision. He defended the crown twice by beating Edner Cherry and Stephen Smith by split and unanimous decisions respectively. Pedraza then lost his belt in his third defence when Gervonta Davis stopped him in the seventh round in January, 2017.
After that he managed to beat Jose Luis Rodriguez, Antonio Moran and Raymundo Beltran by unanimous decisions, taking the WBO Lightweight Belt in the win over Beltran. Pedraza then ran into Vasyl Lomachenko in December, 2018, was dropped twice in the 11th round and lost a unanimous decision and his title to the then-WBA Lightweight Champ. After that he stopped Antonio Lozada Torres in the ninth round and lost to Zepeda.
After all of that action Pedraza climbs through the ropes with a record of 29-5-1with 14 Ko’s. He measures 5-feet-8-inches tall with a reach 70.5-inch reach and has boxed 270 rounds since making his pro debut in 2011. He gives up an inch in height to Davis but has a minimal half-inch reach advantage. He prefers to fight from the outside if possible and isn’t much of a banger as just 48.3 per cent of his wins have been by stoppage and he’s gone the distance in 10 of his last 12 fights, but his power shouldn’t be underestimated.
Pedraza also owns a unanimous decision over Alberto Garza and a seventh-round TKO over Sergio Reyes. He enjoyed a fine, extensive amateur career and represented Puerto Rico at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where he lost in the second round of competition. Since turning pro he’s also won the WBC Youth World, USBA, and IBO World Super Featherweight Titles to go along with his WBO Latino Lightweight Crown.
Prediction…
There isn’t really a weak side to Davis’ game and his power and boxing skills have simply been too much for all of his opponents so far. Pedraza is a solid pro and former world champion but can’t match Davis in any area at this stage of their careers and doesn’t really have the power to keep him at bay. I’m expecting Davis to earn another win here but have a feeling that it will go the distance.
