Sam Noakes Dismisses Keyshawn Davis Loss as Benchmark, Eyes Challenging Berinchyk

The English lightweight contends that Keyshawn Davis’ dominance should not diminish Denys Berinchyk’s championship record or threat level.

Sam Noakes refuses to write off Denys Berinchyk based solely on his stoppage loss to Keyshawn Davis. He anticipates the former WBO lightweight champion will present a substantial challenge when the bout takes place at London’s O2 Arena on August 29.

“Keyshawn’s an anomaly. He’s different. We have to watch and study the other fights. Not so much that one,” Noakes said to Ring Magazine when asked how much weight he puts on Berinchyk’s loss to Davis. “He’s still a very good fighter. Losing to Keyshawn Davis don’t make him like, ‘Oh, he’s rubbish. It’s an easy fight for me now.’ There’s things to take away from that, but at the end I’m still going in there thinking he’s still a dangerous fight. He’s a live fighter, so I’m focusing on that.”

Noakes meets Berinchyk on the undercard of the Moses Itauma versus Filip Hrgovic heavyweight event. The former WBO lightweight champion represents the most significant victory in Noakes’ career since his unanimous decision loss to Abdullah Mason last November.

Berinchyk built his reputation long before the Davis contest. The Ukrainian captured the WBO lightweight title with an upset victory over Emanuel Navarrete after establishing himself through an accomplished amateur career. Noakes believes Berinchyk should be evaluated based on his overall body of work rather than a single subpar performance.

The English contender acknowledges Berinchyk poses a difficult assignment despite recent criticism of the former champion.

A victory would advance Noakes closer to another world title opportunity. He expects a demanding contest rather than the one-sided fight many predict following Berinchyk’s defeat to Davis.

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist who has covered the sport since 2014, providing ringside reporting and technical analysis of major bouts. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments, and the details that shape high-level competition.

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