Keyshawn Davis: 'I Was Drinking Every Single Day'

The darkest chapter of Keyshawn Davis’ young career unfolded in full public view last summer and nearly derailed everything he had built. What was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming and first lightweight title defense turned into a cautionary tale. Davis missed weight by 4.3 pounds ahead of his scheduled June 7 bout against Edwin De Los Santos, was stripped of his belt, and saw the fight canceled altogether. The weekend spiraled further when Davis and his brother Keon were involved in a post-fight melee with Nahir Albright, compounding the fallout.

In the aftermath, Davis openly flirted with retirement. Now, with clarity restored and accountability embraced. Davis says those struggles are behind him and he’s ready to make a violent statement in his next fight.

Outgrowing His Weight

Speaking candidly on Hall of Game with Andre Ward and Roy Jones Jr., Davis revealed that alcohol abuse played a central role in his disastrous weight miss and mental collapse.

“I feel like I outgrew 135, but if you want me to be honest, I’m going to be,” Davis said. “During that camp, I was going through a lot of mental struggles. And how I was going through it was literally drinking every single day.”

Davis admitted the issue wasn’t isolated to one camp, but rather the accumulation of unresolved emotional strain from previous fights.

“In camp, I was basically drinking every single day,” he continued. “I was just hurt from the previous camp, and the one before that. Things were just lingering on. I was knocking out Gustavo Lemos and Denys Berinchyk with a bad mental… That was really the only reason I couldn’t lose those extra pounds because I was just drinking.”

The honesty marked a rare moment of vulnerability from a fighter once seen as one of boxing’s most disciplined young stars.