by Keith Idec
Gustavo Lemos made it ridiculously clear Thursday that he no intention whatsoever of meeting his contractual obligation for his 10-round lightweight fight with Keyshawn Davis on Friday night.
Lemos embarrassingly exceeded the lightweight limit of 135 pounds when he stepped on the Virginia Boxing, Martial Arts and Professional Wrestling Advisory Board’s scale at 141.4 pounds, 6½ pounds heavier than required. Davis came in below the contracted maximum, at 134.2 pounds, for the main event of the first show he’ll headline in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.
Representatives for both boxers continued to negotiate Thursday afternoon with promoter Top Rank Inc. to reach a financial arrangement that was acceptable to both sides for the fight to proceed. Top Rank also was working with Virginia’s regulatory agency at the time this story was posted to settle on a new official contract weight because the state’s rehydration rule prevents boxers from coming in more than 10 pounds above set limits at second-day weigh-ins.
The target weight for Lemos’ second-day weigh-in was 148 pounds, which would require the amended contract filed with Virginia’s commission to list the official weight at 138 pounds, three above how it originally read.
Argentina’s Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t competed in a lightweight fight since he stopped Wales’ Lee Selby (28-4, 9 KOs) in the fifth round of their March 2022 bout at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital. The 28-year-old Lemos most recently lost a 12-round unanimous decision to unbeaten New Yorker Richardson Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs), who won their back-and-forth IBF 140-pound elimination match by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 on April 6 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old Davis (11-0, 7 KOs, 1 NC) has fought at or near the lightweight limit since he made his pro debut in February 2021. He didn’t hesitate to proceed with their fight once Lemos came in way overweight.
“Oh, I was happy,” Davis told Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher on stage. “I know I’m gettin’ paid more money, so the show must go on.”
ESPN+ is scheduled to stream Davis-Lemos as the main event of an eight-fight card from Scope Arena in downtown Norfolk. Undercard coverage is set to start at 11:20 p.m. GMT in the UK (6:20 p.m. ET in the United States).