WBO ranking places fighters in the same title picture despite their friendship
Shakur Stevenson has backed Keyshawn Davis’ refusal to pursue a fight between the two despite Davis being ranked No. 1 by the WBO at 140 pounds.
The exchange between the two appeared on social media on February 20, less than two weeks after Davis was placed at the top of the WBO’s 140-pound rankings on February 8, according to The Ring. The move theoretically positioned Davis as a future challenger for Stevenson’s title.
Davis addressed the calls for the matchup directly.
“Yall wanna see us go against each other so bad it’s really sad.”
Stevenson quickly responded in agreement.
“Facts f*** em!!”
Davis’ rapid climb in the rankings followed his January 31 knockout of Jamaine Ortiz on the undercard of Stevenson’s title fight with Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden. Before that victory, Davis had not appeared in the WBO’s top fifteen at junior welterweight.
Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) captured the WBO and Ring junior welterweight titles that night with a wide unanimous decision over Lopez. All three judges scored the fight 119-109. Davis (14-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC), the 2021 Olympic silver medalist, closed the co-feature by stopping Ortiz in the 12th round.
The two fighters trained together in Las Vegas in the buildup to the card and have long described each other as brothers, a relationship that has consistently blocked talk of them sharing the ring.
Stevenson has previously stated he would rather vacate a belt than fight Davis, a position that appears unchanged.
Both fighters are now looking toward different directions. Davis told Boxing News on March 9 that he is considering a move to welterweight for a title opportunity.
“I think that I am moving up [to 147lbs]. Yep, [for a championship fight],”
He has mentioned WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney and IBF titleholder Lewis Crocker as possible targets. A previously discussed fight with Richardson Hitchins for March 2026 also remains possible.
Stevenson has also discussed a potential move to welterweight, where British contender Conor Benn has been mentioned as a possible opponent.
For now the WBO has not ordered Davis as mandatory challenger, leaving the division’s top two names moving along separate paths.