It may be Valentine’s Day eve, but there was no love between Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk on the scales.
Tempers flared again after the two successfully made weight on Thursday afternoon for their lightweight title fight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Davis, who is challenging for his first world title on Friday night, taunted the defending WBO lightweight titlist Berinchyk, rubbing and tugging at the belt as it draped over Berinchyk’s shoulder during their staredown following the weigh-in.
After Davis broke from the staredown to pose for the cameras, Berinchyk shoved him off the stage, prompting Davis to try to even the score immediately. The two were successfully separated, with their hostilities to be reserved for one more night.
Davis, who accused Berinchyk of being a racist at Thursday’s press conference after a gift bag of bananas and watermelons was anonymously sent to his hotel room, dismissed his opponent’s claims of being over-anxious heading into his biggest fight to date.
“It don’t matter if I’m rattled, calmed down, having fun. It don’t matter what I am. He’s getting knocked out in the first round tomorrow,” said Davis.
Berinchyk left the stage after the altercation and didn’t give an interview to Top Rank commentator Crystina Poncher
Berinchyk, a Ukrainian who is making the first defense of the belt he won last May with a split decision over Emanuel Navarrete, checked in at 134.6 pounds, while Davis, a rising star on the Top Rank roster, came in at 134.2 pounds.
While Berinchyk and Davis have some obvious differences to settle, they’re also alike in many ways. Both Berinchyk, 19-0 (9 KOs), and Davis, 12-0 (8 KOs), are undefeated, and they’re both Olympic silver medalists, with the 36-year-old Berinchyk earning his medal at the 2012 London Games and the 25-year-old Davis earning his at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Davis of Norfolk, Virginia had a clear height advantage in their staredown, being two inches taller at 5ft 9ins.
The 12-round lightweight fight will headline a Top Rank on ESPN card, with the main card going live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, and the undercard to stream on ESPN+, beginning at 5 p.m.
There were less hostilities among the remaining boxers on the card.
Vito Mielnicki Jnr, 20-1 (12 KOs), checked in at 159.4 pounds for his first middleweight fight, while Connor Coyle, 21-0 (9 KOs), came in at 158.8 pounds for their ten-round co-featured bout. The 22-year-old Mielnicki of nearby Roseland, New Jersey is seeking his twelfth straight victory while the 34-year-old Coyle of Derry, Northern Ireland is making his New York debut.
Jared Anderson, 17-1 (15 KOs), took the first step on his way to redemption, checking in at a career-high 256.8 pounds on the scales, while his opponent, the Sweden-based Greek boxer Marios Kollias, 12-3-1 (10 KOs), came in at 235.4 pounds.
Anderson, 25, of Toledo, Ohio is looking to bounce back from his fifth round knockout loss to Martin Bakole in August, while the 33-year-old Kollias is looking for by-far the biggest win of his career after an 11-year career in Europe.
Ten rounds, junior middleweights
Xander Zayas - 153.2
Slawa Spomer - 153.2
Ten rounds, welterweights
Rohan Polanco - 146.4
Jean Carlos Torres - 147
Eight rounds, lightweights
Abdullah Mason - 136.2
Manuel Jaimes - 137
Six rounds - middleweights
Nico Ali Walsh - 157.2
Juan Carlos Guerra Jr - 157.8
Four rounds, welterweights
Keon Davis - 149.2
Ira Johnson - 148.2
Four rounds, junior bantamweights
Juanma Lopez De Jesus - 113.8
Bryan Santiago - 113.6