U.S. gold medal hope Keyshawn Davis KOs top seed in Olympics
U.S. lightweight Keyshawn Davis looked like a gold medal contender in the Tokyo Olympics Friday evening U.S. time.
Davis stopped top seed and 2016 silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha of France in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals, in which he’ll face Gabil Mamedov of the Russian Olympic Committee.
The first round was competitive as the fighters largely felt one another out, with Davis winning on three of five cards.
In Round 2, Oumiha came out more aggressively and had some success but also paid a big price. Midway through the round, Davis landed a perfect right to the jaw that wobbled Oumiha and resulted in a standing eight count.
The Frenchman remained on his feet but referee Bachir Abbar of Morroco didn’t like what he saw and stopped the fight.
It was the second time Davis eliminated Oumiha from a major tournament, having also done so in the 2019 World Championships. Davis won a silver medal in that competition.
Davis has been touted by some at the U.S.’ best hope of breaking the country’s long gold medal draught. The last American Olympic champion was Andre Ward in 2004.
Davis, a 22-year-old from Norfolk, Va., is one of three professional boxers on the U.S. team. He’s 3-0 (2 KOs) as a pro.