Terence Crawford’s retirement may have left boxing without its most complete modern fighter, but Tim Bradley believes the search for his heir need not last long.
Crawford bowed out of the sport last month with an unblemished record, a legendary résumé and a final victory destined for the history books.
From winning his first world title at lightweight to collecting belts across a further four weight classes, his achievements place him in rare company. He capped it all by becoming undisputed super-middleweight champion with a stunning win over long-time superstar Canelo Alvarez.
Later this month, however, fans may see the re-emergence of a fighter who, according to Bradley, has the potential to achieve similar success in Keyshawn Davis. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bradley said:
“Since Terence Crawford has left and retired from the sport, I think the closest fighter that could – I don’t want to say emulate – but has a damn good chance of at least attempting to do what Crawford did is Keyshawn Davis.”
Bradley, a former two-weight world champion who shared the ring with Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, outlined why he rates Davis so highly, while also stressing what must improve if the 26-year-old is to enjoy a truly illustrious career.
“Similar attributes: good power, great boxing ability, hell of an IQ, Olympic silver medallist. Has the intangibles as far as what’s internal. Kid is a killer. He definitely wants to knock you out. He definitely wants to hurt you. He’s got a lot of spite in him. A lot of pent-up pain. I’ll just say he’s got a lot of that in him – I can tell. However, he’s got to get this right mentally.”
Davis returns to the ring against Jamaine Ortiz on January 31, featuring on the Teofimo Lopez–Shakur Stevenson undercard at Madison Square Garden. Davis has spoken openly about his mental health struggles, but a focused and firing version of the American is a clear asset to the sport.
An impressive victory over Ortiz could set the tone for a strong 2026 for the former WBO lightweight champion — the very first world title Crawford won, against Ricky Burns, back in 2014.