Keyshawn Davis Leaves Top Rank, Purse Dispute Remains

Keyshawn Davis is officially free from Top Rank. Bob Arum confirmed that the boxer received an early release from his contract.

The move opens the door for Zuffa to sign him. It could also restart talks about a fight with Richardson Hitchins, who has already signed with Zuffa. The obstacle in those talks has been money, and a change of promoter does not remove it.

The $6 million claim

Hitchins has said Davis priced himself out of their fight by asking for $6 million. That figure is Hitchins' version of events. Davis has turned down money before. He turned down the mandatory shot at Devin Haney's WBO welterweight belt, where the purse bid split came to $2.14 million. Boxing News 24 puts Davis' career-high payday at around $1 million and notes he struggled to pack the arena in his hometown of Norfolk.

Putting both fighters under the same promotional banner does not guarantee a deal either. Shakur Stevenson, another Zuffa fighter, has not been able to finalize an in-house bout with Rayo Valenzuela.

Bradley weighs in

Tim Bradley addressed the split on his YouTube channel after Arum's confirmation. He questioned how much Davis is worth on the market.

"Keyshawn ain't worth no $6 million. Sorry, he not. The last time you fought at home, you didn't even sell out the arena."

Bradley said he sees the situation as business and not as fear. "I don't think Keyshawn is scared of Hitchins," he said. "He wants what was promised to him. That's it."

He did not cite evidence of an explicit promise. He also said that his speculation about Davis possibly paying a buyout fee was only his personal opinion.

Source: Boxing News 24