With all the hoopla that’s going on, boxing fans surely deserve something to delight. Something to cherish. Something they would remember for a long time. So to treat the fans, Bob Arum and Top Rank have chipped in to put on display a stylistic matchup that will be talked about for sure. On Friday night, February 14, rising star Keyshawn Davis will step into the ring for his first major test. He will face reigning title holder Denys Berinchyk. The match is being followed with great interest. The repercussions of its outcome could reverberate loud and clear across the board.

A bout for a lightweight title is bound to have a cascading effect. Including Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, and Vasyl Lomachenko, the division currently hosts a glitzy star cast in its roster. Hence, the winner of the Valentine’s Day clash will be poised for a future title unification matchup against one of the 135-pound luminaries. Ahead of their exciting thriller, let’s check how Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk stand toe-to-toe.

Predicting Keyshawn Davis vs. Denis Berinchyk: Who has better stats and record?

Let’s begin our journey with ‘The Businessman.’ Following an outstanding amateur career that saw him receiving an Olympic silver, Davis made his professional debut four years ago. Over the course of regional titles as well as a no-contest controversy, the Norfolk native eventually reached a stage from where he can stake a claim to his legacy.

Gustavo Lemos‘ second-round rout removed all the illusions if there were any, about Keyshawn Davis’s march to lightweight glory. An outstanding performance saw a confident Davis calling out Gervonta Davis. The win opened the doors for ‘The Businessman,’ and now he’s back with his first move. Speaking of ‘Mill City Boxing,’ he reportedly said, “I would love to unify with one of the champions after I beat Berinchyk. We’ll see if one of the champions wanna fight me.”

On the other hand, Berinchyk has his own story to narrate. An Olympic silver medalist, like Keyshawn Davis, the Ukraine-born former European champion, began his professional journey much earlier. A long-time WBO international champion, Berinchyk’s moment came when he defeated the charismatic ‘Vaquero’ Emanuel Navarrete. But the triumph also meant that he will now appear on several crosshairs.

Both Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk remain unbeaten. However, with a higher proportion of knockouts (67%) to his credit, the former boasts a better knockout-to-win rate than the Ukrainian champion. Berinchyk has been successful in stopping only 47% of his opponents.

Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

Getting into the physical aspects of the matchup, Denis Berinchyk’s reach details are unavailable. Standing 5 feet and 9 inches or 175 centimeters tall, Keyshawn Davis edges Berinchyk, who boasts a height of 5 feet and 7 inches or 170 centimeters. Davis records a reach of 70 inches or 178 centimeters.

There’s still a week left for the event’s final weigh-ins. Nevertheless, a brief perusal of Davis and Berinchyk’s weights during the last bouts might give some clues. Ahead of his face-off with the Argentine Lemos, ‘The Businessman’ registered a weight of 134.2 pounds. On the other hand, against Navarrete, Berinchyk tipped the scales at 134.8 pounds.

How the battle unfolds

By all accounts, Keyshawn Davis remains the heavy favorite to win the Valentine’s Day showdown. Against his -600 odds, deny Berinchyk will defend his hard-won title as a +400 underdog. So what could be the reason behind such a skewed prediction?

Perhaps much of it has to do with Davis’ exposure. Admittedly, Jose Pedraza and Gustavo Lemos remain the most prominent opponents of note in his four-year-old career. However, the way he secured those victories and the fact that he is trained by none other than Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre provide the much-needed confidence oddsmakers need to bet their money on.

On the other hand, age – he turns 37 this May – and the closely contested fight against Emanuel Navarrete seem to have presented an unfavorable picture of Denys Berinchyk. A lackluster performance for which both Berinchyk and Navarrete received a rap on the knuckles added to the growing doubts.

Given that he comes from Terence Crawford‘s stable, fans may find a lot of resemblance between Keyshawn Davis and Shakur Stevenson’s styles. A highly effective counterpuncher, Davis plays his game with patience. He doesn’t give in to mindless recklessness. Davis, who will turn 28 six days after the bout, no longer displays the indecisions often associated with youth. He has matured into a fighter ready and willing to take his career to the next level.

It was a dream come true for Ukrainian boxing when Denys Berinchyk became a world champion. Ahead of his May 18 match, Oleksandr Usyk created history by defeating Tyson Fury and became the century’s first undisputed heavyweight champion. Then six days before, Vasyl Lomachenko became a world champion for the fourth time.

So it’s a big responsibility that Berinchyk carries. Whether he can carry his nation’s expectations and flag high remains to be seen. In Keyshawn Davis, he will meet a formidable match. Perhaps it will be the greatest test of his decade-old career.

Holding other factors steady, we believe Keyshawn Davis will cruise to a comfortable victory by unanimous decision.

What about you? How do you foresee the Davis-Berinchyk fight unfolding?