Understanding the Upsets: Kelvin Davis, Mark Jeffers, and more!

Albright Shatters the Davis Legacy, Hemphill Stuns Jeffers, and Simpson Survives Zucco Scare in a Weekend of Chaos

by Ezekiel King:  Nahir Albright def. Kelvin Davis 

Certainly the fight that triggered the most drama over the weekend, former Keyshawn Davis foe Nahir Albright returned from a nearly two-year-long layoff to overcome Keyshawn’s oldest brother, Kelvin. Kelvin Davis towered over Albright, sporting a five-inch reach advantage, but very rarely made use of it during the fight. Albright’s game plan was clear from the start: jab his way on the inside of Davis’s stance and land the right hand.

In the second round, it worked out perfectly, buckling the bigger man’s knees and dropping him in the ensuing flurry, though it was ruled a slip by the referee. The fight became increasingly physical from that point on, as Kelvin would hold and try to bully Albright against the ropes when they came together, though Albright by and large had more success finding space for his shots on the inside. This all served to severely hinder Davis’s offense, as he was relegated to a measly average of four power punches a round.

Davis came on strong in the last three rounds, landing a fight-high eleven power punches in the seventh as the pace became frantic, but the damage was done. Albright outlanded and hurt Davis on several occasions, taking the majority decision in enemy territory. For Davis, it was a pretty horrific result, as all of his flaws came to cost him his undefeated record in his hometown. The ensuing drama will likely have repercussions for his brothers as well.

Albright, on the other hand, made a successful return to the pro ranks, knocking off an undefeated prospect in a new weight class for him and potentially setting up a rematch with former champion Keyshawn Davis.

Sean Hemphill def. Mark Jeffers

Heading across the pond to Yorkshire, IBF #6 super middleweight contender Mark Jeffers lost his “O” to American Sean Hemphill, despite being a sizable -1000 favorite. Jeffers pushed the pace early on while Hemphill was content to sit back and pick his shots. A flip switched in the fourth round when Hemphill decided to stand his ground and brawl with Jeffers.

Neither fighter had trouble landing on their man throughout the entirety of the fight. As it developed, Hemphill began to look like the more complete fighter—happy to stand and trade or give ground—and showed better variety in his shots. Though Jeffers could land cleanly, it was often at the cost of two or three punches landed for Hemphill. The fight became truly grueling as it wore on, both men feeling the pace and the damage, but again, the American just adapted better.

Mark Jeffers just proved to be a little too one-note in this fight and was outhustled by a guy he was meant to beat on paper. In my opinion, it’s a symptom of spinning your tires a bit too long, as Jeffers just hasn’t moved up the levels as he’d probably have liked. Meanwhile, for Sean Hemphill, this could be a bit of a breakthrough win, as Jeffers is by far the best fighter he’s beaten, and the division remains relatively thin.

Near Miss: Callum Simpson def. Ivan Zucco

Staying with the super middleweights and in Yorkshire, local hero Callum Simpson was given a bit of a scare by undefeated Italian boxer Ivan Zucco. Simpson, the much bigger and better man, walked into a clean 1-2 from the southpaw Zucco just seconds into the contest—officially the first time he’d been knocked down in his career.

Simpson tried hard to prove it was a fluke, pressuring Zucco into the ropes repeatedly until the Italian repeated his feat, dropping Simpson with a left for a second time as the bigger man advanced on him. Simpson didn’t look particularly damaged after either knockdown, but both were clean.

That is about where the fun stopped for Zucco, however, as the Yorkshire man battered him against the ropes for most of the remainder of the fight, with Zucco only finding occasional success beyond the third round. It came to a close in the tenth, when Simpson floored Zucco three times before the Italian corner called it quits.

Simpson managed to get the stoppage in front of his hometown; however, there were some really worrying signs in this fight, especially for someone pursuing fights against the likes of Hamzah Sheeraz. For Ivan Zucco, he heavily outperformed expectations, but I’d be shocked if he ever moved beyond the European level, as he was just too small and lacked horsepower down the stretch.