Top Rank Releases Keyshawn Davis With One Fight Left on His Contract, Arum Says

Keyshawn Davis is no longer a Top Rank fighter. Promoter Bob Arum said the company granted the unbeaten Norfolk, Virginia, standout the release he asked for, even though one fight was still left on his contract.

Arum disclosed the split in a conversation with Joe Profit of the O.S.O.S. podcast, as Bad Left Hook reported on Friday. Rather than hold Davis to the final bout or fight it out in court, Top Rank simply let him go, according to Arum's account, which was also relayed by Clinch Magazine.

Arum did not sound heartbroken. "The lo and behold — the Saudi money, like Aladdin, disappeared!" he said, per Clinch Magazine's transcription, a pointed reference to the bigger paydays Davis was believed to be chasing elsewhere.

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How it got here

The relationship had been fraying for months. In July, the WBO named Davis (15-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC) the mandatory challenger for Devin Haney's welterweight title, and Top Rank won the purse bid with an $8.55 million offer. Davis' 25 percent share would have been just over $2.1 million, roughly double his biggest purse at the time, but his team told the WBO he would not take the fight, The Ring reported. Arum later said he was "totally perplexed" by the decision.

Haney has since moved on. He signed an exclusive deal with DAZN this week, with a unification against Liam Paro expected in December (our story here).

Davis then turned his attention to Richardson Hitchins, and the two traded public claims about who had accepted what (we covered the back-and-forth here). That fight now appears dead too. Hitchins has said Davis asked for $6 million, according to Bad Left Hook.

What's next

Davis, 27, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist and former WBO lightweight titleholder, is now a free agent. He has not fought at welterweight, and his last two wins, a stoppage of Jamaine Ortiz and a decision over Nahir Albright, came at 140 pounds. No new promoter or next opponent has been announced, and Davis had not publicly commented on the release as of Friday evening.

Where do you think "The Businessman" lands next? Keep an eye on Boxbid's fan polls and Fight Picker for your chance to weigh in when his next fight gets made.