Rewarding Failure: Keyshawn Davis’s Bid For A #1 Ranking At 140 Is A Bad Move For Boxing And The WBO

The recently stripped former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis has reportedly petitioned the sanctioning body for him to be installed as the #1 contender at 140 for Teofimo Lopez’s light welterweight title.

Rewarding a Stripped Champion?

If the WBO grants Keyshawn’s request, he would be in a position to fight the current #1-ranked contender, Alfredo Santiago (17-2, 8 KOs), for the interim title, while Teofimo (22-1, 13 KOs) negotiates his next fight against Shakur Stevenson.

Lance Pugmire of Boxingscene broke the news of Keyshawn (13-0, 9 KOs) positioning the WBO for the #1 spot at 140.

The 2020 Olympic silver medalist Davis was stripped of his WBO lightweight title on Friday, June 6, 2025, when he came in 4.3 lbs over the limit at 139.3 lbs for what would have been his maiden title defense of his belt against fringe contender Edwin De Los Santos.

Edwin’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, opted to cancel the fight out of safety concerns for his fighter. De Los Santos would have been at a disadvantage fighting a heavier Keyshawn.

Keyshawn’s Future Is Uncertain

Earlier this month, on August 7, 2025, Keyshawn told Ariel Helwani on his YouTube channel that he would be taking a break from boxing for an undetermined amount of time, saying, “I have no idea. It could be a year. It could be two. It could be six months.”

If the World Boxing Organization grants Keyshawn’s request to install him as the #1 contender at 140 for Teofimo’s title, it wouldn’t be beneficial for the organization if Davis sits for one to two years. The sanctioning body doesn’t come out ahead by granting Keyshawn’s petition.

Keyshawn being handed a #1 ranking by the WBO at light welterweight after missing weight and being stripped of his lightweight title won’t sit well with fans. It would be like rewarding Davis for failure.

Top Rank’s Broadcast Challenge

Davis’ promoters at Top Rank currently don’t have a broadcast platform for him to fight on after their contract with ESPN expired with their last event on July 26, 2025. The timing isn’t ideal for Keyshawn to be given the #1 position as Teofimo’s top-rated contender at 140.