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Against Nahir Albright, Keyshawn Davis continues to find himself at the center of controversy. Their rematch at Norfolk’s Scope Arena has come under intense scrutiny following a chaotic main-event clash.

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Davis won the headlining bout. But the way it unfolded in front of a home crowd, particularly his illegal takedown of Albright, sparked immediate backlash that even drew criticism from Devin Haney.

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“DUMBA** MOVE BY KEYSHAWN DAVIS,” wrote Dan The Boxing Man. “SLAMMING ALBRIGHT TO THE GROUND‼️🤦♂️🤦♂️”

The clip captured the sequence that unfolded in the seventh round of the Top Rank main event.

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Rushing toward Davis behind a jab, Albright closed the distance before Keyshawn slipped inside, lifted him horizontally, and slammed him to the canvas.

Given how their first fight in 2023 ended, with Davis’s majority-decision win later overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance, the latest incident only invited renewed scrutiny around the rivalry.

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Then last year, the two were involved in an altercation that occurred backstage after Albright defeated Davis’ brother, Kelvin.

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Part of the reason the backlash remained somewhat subdued may have been because Albright responded with a similar takedown in the next round, dragging Davis to the canvas during another exchange.

Even so, the sequence quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the fight.

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Devin Haney adds fuel to the fire against Keyshawn Davis

Devin Haney, who has recently been involved in a heated back-and-forth with Davis, also joined the backlash online.

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“Keyshawn is a nut…” the welterweight champion wrote before adding, “Debo coming for Keyshawn…”

Haney hasn’t fully committed to a fight despite Davis’ repeated call-outs. So it’s likely that Davis’ performance appeared to give Haney confidence about a potential matchup.

Many fans appeared to agree with Haney’s reaction.

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One wrote bluntly, “Low-key wouldn’t mind seeing him get sparked by a Haney or Teofimo. Dude’s got a massive ego and has missed weight twice now.”

Though he eventually made weight, Davis’s struggles during the official weigh-ins once again raised questions about his discipline, especially following the canceled Edwin De Los Santos bout last June.

Another fan added, “After watching that fight, no chance Keyshawn can beat Shakur.” With some experts previously claiming Keyshawn could become an even better version of his close friend Shakur Stevenson, his showing against Albright seems to have weakened that perception.

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“That’s why I don’t rock with him, and his other brother jumped that dude for whooping his brother’s a**. He never gonna learn , man; he’s not an A B, but he’s still an a**hole,” fired another user.

Outside the ring, Davis’s rivalry with Albright also extends to his brother Kelvin, who lost to Albright last year, adding another layer to the tension between the camps.

Still, some fans defended Davis by pointing out that Albright had employed similar tactics earlier in the fight. “Did y’all even watch the fight? Albright was grabbing him the whole match and then turned around and did the exact same thing to Keyshawn,” one user stated.

Even so, neither Davis’s nor Albright’s actions could be justified.

The matchup remained compelling, but only as long as it stayed within the limits of a clean fight. While Davis ultimately secured the win, the seventh-round slam will likely remain the defining moment of the fight and another controversial chapter in their rivalry.

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Jaideep R Unnithan

3,681 Articles

Jaideep R. Unnithan is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports and one of the division’s most trusted voices. Since joining in October 2022, he has brought a deep love for the sport into every story, whether reporting on live bouts with the ES LiveEvent Desk or unpacking the legacy of fighters from different eras as part of the features desk. Trained under EssentiallySports’ prestigious Journalistic Excellence Program, which is a specialized training initiative designed to refine top writers' skills through mentorship and advanced sports journalism techniques, Jaideep’s writing reflects a quiet authority shaped by two years of covering boxing’s flashpoints and fault lines. He is drawn to the warrior code of legends like Alexis Argüello and Marvin Hagler, while also staying attuned to the promise of rising stars like Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, David Benavidez, and Dmitry Bivol. Jaideep has a special fascination with Naoya Inoue’s old-school grit. Beyond writing, he reads widely, a habit that sharpens his storytelling, whether he’s tracing the rhythm of a classic fight or preparing his next ringside dispatch. Before joining EssentiallySports, Jaideep worked as a client manager and team manager in corporate roles, bringing strong organizational and communication skills to his journalistic career. He has also completed notable certifications, including a Non-Fiction Book Writing Workshop.

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