Justice has been served. Argentine boxer Gustavo Lemos’s cheap attempt to gain an unfair advantage by exceeding the lightweight limit by over 6 pounds was thwarted by Keyshawn Davis’s punches. The promising American prospect harshly punished his opponent, knocking him out in just two rounds and making Lemos’s deceitful maneuver worthless. However, Davis’s victory does not eliminate the need to address how to discourage a practice that is harming boxing.
There’s little to recount about what happened in the ring. Lemos’s aggressive yet sloppy style, which made him appear like a steamroller against low-power boxers like Lee Selby and Richardson Hitchins, became self-destructive when faced with an explosive and precise opponent like Davis.
It took the American less than two rounds to decisively capitalize on the frequent openings Lemos left. The first knockdown of the night came from a beautiful straight right to the jaw, catching Lemos exposed during a clumsy attempt to throw a wide hook.
The South American quickly got up and seemed clear-headed enough to try to get back into the fight, but Davis gave him no reprieve, sending him to the canvas again shortly afterward with a lightning-fast two-punch combination starting with a perfect, lethal left hook. This time, Lemos appeared truly shaken, collapsing against the ropes as he tried to get up too quickly.
Referee Raul Caiz Jr. wanted to give the Argentine one last chance to continue, but the outcome was already sealed: Davis pounced on his hapless opponent, finishing him off with a flurry of punches before moving on to his celebrations.
The famous The Ring editor-in-chief Douglass Fischer’s comment on X at the end of the fight was emblematic:
“Yes! So glad Keyshawn knocked Lemos TF out early.”
Perhaps an unusual reaction from a journalist, yet one that reflects the deep frustration felt by many in the industry over Gustavo Lemos’s blatant attempt to flout the rules by accepting a major fight in a particular weight class, only to make no effort to meet its requirements.
Unfortunately, Lemos’s case is not isolated, and if serious steps are not taken, this situation risks recurring. While there are already monetary penalties—sometimes prearranged between the parties—to discourage fighters from showing up on the scale heavier than the limit, these are often not enough.
Some fighters are wealthy enough to disregard the fines (this is certainly the case with Ryan Garcia, who famously missed weight against Devin Haney), while others are willing to pay the penalty, calculating that a win in the ring might open the door to bigger paydays in the future.
Canceling fights for failure to make weight is often unfeasible, as it raises significant issues, including refunding tickets sold and explaining the situation to event sponsors. The entire training camp of the unfortunate boxer who respected the weight limit also becomes a waste of time and resources.
Alternative solutions are therefore urgently needed. Online, following yesterday’s official weigh-in, several creative suggestions emerged, including a proposal to penalize the heavier boxer by one point on the scorecards for each extra pound on the scale. This was described as “very interesting” by American journalist Adam Abramowitz in response to an X user discussing it.
The most realistic and feasible option, however, seems to be mandatory disqualification. Faced with the prospect of being sidelined for a year (with increased penalties for repeat offenders), many fighters might think twice before attempting a “shortcut.” Let’s hope those in charge decide to move in this direction soon.