TOKYO, Japan — Norfolk native Keyshawn Davis fought his way to an Olympic silver medal in boxing's lightweight division. An old nemesis, Andy Cruz from Cuba beat Davis by a split decision in the final bout.
Davis could sense that it was close fight. Afterwards he said, “I feel like it was a great fight. I ain't really get to watch it. It was moving so fast, I barely remember it. But I felt like it was a 3-2 decision, it was a good technical fight, I think the fans loved it.”
Cruz won the first round on 4 of the 5 judges cards. Fighting with a sense of urgency in the second round, Davis won on all cards. The third round was very close with Davis a little more tentative. That decisive third round went to Cruz.
Keyshawn Davis fights his way to a silver medal
About not being to win a gold medal, Davis said, “I'm not cool with it, but like I said it's something I got to live with, you know, and I'm okay with that. I'm gonna live with it and we're just gonna take it to the next level."
Trying to put things into perspective, Davis added this, I've never felt this much pressure in fights a day in my life - back to back fights, tough fights at that - and I'm glad I got to experience this because it did make me a better fighter.”
This was the fourth time Davis and Cruz have fought. Cruz beat Davis in the World Championship final and two other times in 2019.
Davis was trying to become the first American male boxer to win boxing gold since 2004 and the first American lightweight to be the Olympic champion since Oscar De La Hoya in 1992. Norfolk's Pernell Whitaker won gold in the lightweight division in the 1984 Olympics.