Kyrone Davis “When I get to the top I wanna fight everyone. I’m not doing no ducking, no dodging”

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29913743001_2523241369001_062713Boxer-KS-003“When I get to the top I wanna fight everyone. I’m not doing no ducking, no dodging, no ‘this is not financially right’ and all that. I’m gonna make it happen for the fans and for myself.”

These were the words of former three-time national amateur champion and current pro middleweight prospect, 20-year-old Kyrone Davis(6-0, 3KO’s) in a call with Nestor Gibbs of Thaboxingvoice.com. It’s nice to see some positives have arisen out of the current state of boxing, where many top fighters are refusing to face one and other. With this young man feeling and echoing the sentiment of numerous fans he has endeavoured to rectify the situation as much as he can through his own actions. I like him already.

Davis is three weeks removed from his first six-rounder in which he won every session against a guy named Jonathan Garcia in Philadelphia. In these, the primary bouts of his career, Davis is very much still learning on the job and was asked to analyze his own performance against Garcia, and why, in particular, does he feel he didn’t get the stoppage.

“On the outside looking in you can see that all the tools are there; I have good speed I have good power, Really it’s more of a mental thing. I’m getting in there; I’m fighting a six-rounder, and I’ve never fought a six rounder before and it’s mental. You get in the ring, and there’s a lot of stuff going on, I’m fighting in Philly, so everybody’s come out to see me. It’s mental; it’s about getting comfortable it comes with time you know. It’s not a race it’s a marathon so when I get in the ring everything has to develop. The reason I didn’t get the stoppage in this fight is because I went to the body well, but I didn’t go to the body enough, and that come with patience. I had him out in the fifth round, and I wasn’t patient.”

One thing that is hard to communicate to fans who don’t get a chance to go out and see fights in person is the atmosphere in such an event, especially if a guy has some support in the crowd. The air becomes charged with excitement and expectation, and the noise reverberates off the walls, even more so in smaller venues. I can imagine it is quite difficult to remain calm and focus on a game plan in those circumstances as a participant. But these are the moments in which a young pug shows he can maintain his composure and execute the moves he has drilled in the gym.

Davis has been holding it all together up to this point; a sure sign that he has benefitted from being able to focus solely on his craft. No night shifts at the local supermarket required.

“If I’m not training I’m watching tape if I’m not watching tape I’m talking boxing. Only thing I do other than boxing is go bowling. I don’t have a part-time job or anything. This is it.”

Davis is in a privileged position. Countless young pros have to work on the side, sometimes on multiple fronts, to sustain their ambitions. Davis, however, is safely locked inside that bombproof shelter that was built by the benevolent Al Haymon; manager to an ever-growing litany of boxing talent. By being in such an optimal position, Davis feels he just needs to concentrate on his business inside the ring and let the team around him take care of the rest.

“Definitely. The good thing about my position is that I don’t have to worry you know. I know I’m gonna get that opportunity. Al signs a lot of good fighters, so I may have to bump heads with somebody to shine, but you know that opportunity will come. I’m basically just sitting around, I do community speaking, so I talk to kids, and I train. Then they get me the fight. I take the fight and when that big fight comes, because it’s gonna come, cuz I’m with the guy that’s gonna give me them fights, that’s what they told me they was gonna do, they promised. I’ve seen them do it; I’ve seen guys grow into champions.”

What a huge relief it must be for him to not have to worry about anything else besides his sport. He doesn’t have to concern himself with getting to work on time, dealing with his boss, rushing from place to place throughout the day, or being tired before training. He is allowed to focus on his own development and not be distracted by all of the everyday obligations that detract from a fighter’s concentration levels. On top of that, his path to the top of the hill has already been cleared for him. He knows he will progress towards bigger and better things if he continues to win his fights. That must be bliss.

Therein lies one of the most enticing aspects of nestling safely under the cavernous wing of old Uncle Al; security. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that some of the main perpetrators of questionable actions in the sport are also with Haymon.

Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson, the two 140 .lb. Titlists who are facing off at a catchweight to avoid putting their belts on the line, along with Peter Quillin, who threw down his WBO middleweight title only to challenge for it against the man who picked up in Andy Lee, are all signed to Haymon. We are never privy to the particulars of these arrangements on the outside. Maybe Davis’s perspective will have been swayed by this mysterious and powerful spectre by the time he reaches the pinnacle of the sport, I can only hope that isn’t the case.