Boxer Keyshawn Davis accused his opponent of a racist act ahead of their WBO lightweight title fight on Friday.
At Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference, Davis accused reigning WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk of sending him racist packages ahead of Friday’s title fight. Davis said Berinchyk sent a box of bananas and watermelons to his room, prompting the accusation.
“This guy came to America to give me bananas and watermelon with a note on it,” Davis said. “It’s unprofessional and I feel like it’s racist, and he just made this fight a little more personal.”
Davis also shared a photo of the package on social media.
Berinchyk, through a translator, denied having anything to do with the package.
“I don’t speak English and I don’t write English. It’s weird even to mention this,” Berinchyk said. “Some people with bad intentions looking for some hype made this.”
Top Rank Boxing, the fight promoter, issued a statement saying they were “appalled and disgusted” by whoever sent the package, and that “Keyshawn has our full support.”
This is the first world title fight for Davis, a Virginia native who is 12-0 with 8 KOs in his professional career. For Berinchyk, who is 19-0 with 9 KOs, this is the first defense of his lightweight title, which he claimed last May. They are the scheduled main event Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
