Legendary promoter Bob Arum has identified who he believes is the modern version of Sugar Ray Leonard.
Arum established Top Rank over five decades ago, and since then has worked with an abundance of legendary fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Oscar De La Hoya and Joe Frazier to name a few.
The 93-year-old veteran has also played a pivotal role in the development and success of a number of modern day greats, including Naoya Inoue and Tyson Fury. Inoue, who is perhaps more commonly known as ‘The Monster’, is often regarded as being the best fighter on the planet.
Another fighter who is currently promoted by Top Rank and Arum is newly-crowned WBO world lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis, who has emerged as one of the sport’s most promising stars in recent years.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Arum gave plaudits to the unbeaten American star, brandishing him as ‘the Sugar Ray Leonard of this generation.’
“The kid’s gonna keep getting tested. But, you know, in my estimation Keyshawn Davis is this generation’s Sugar Ray Leonard. He’s that good. And he fights the same type of style. In other words, he’s very, very quick, has very good defence, but also is an offensive fighter. You know, I’ve always been very high on Keyshawn.”
Davis dethroned Denys Berinchyk of his WBO lightweight crown in a stellar performance on February 14, stopping the Ukrainian in the fourth round. ‘The Businessman’ is now gearing up to face WBC lightweight title challenger Edwin De Los Santos on June 7 on an Arum-promoted show, in what is set to be another important test for the 26-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia.
His amateur career culminated in a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, setting the stage for a professional journey filled with iconic battles against legends like Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, solidifying his place as one of boxing’s all-time greats.
