SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Kelvin Davis stopped Jose Marruffo in four rounds here at the Orange Pavilion on Saturday, and he is now aiming to step up in competition to the best in the junior welterweight division.

Davis, a 28-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia, now trains with Brian “BoMac” McIntyre. At 6ft 3in, he towers as a giant in his weight class. And his ambitions there are clear.

“I want these belts – these 140lbs belts,” Davis told BoxingScene. “These fighters are playing hot potato with these belts. I just want to crack the top 10 in the rankings and start contending. A lot of these fighters are hiding behind the business of boxing.”

Davis, 15-0 (8 KOs), is the eldest member of DB3, the crew made up by him and his two brothers, Keon Davis and WBO lightweight titleholder Keyshawn Davis. Yet Kelvin’s road has veered on a different path than those of his brothers. He stopped boxing for three years and returned only 10 or 11 months prior to the 2020 Olympic Trials Eastern Qualifiers – a tournament he wound up dominating. That led to a bid at the Olympic Trials that ended unsuccessfully but laid the groundwork for his professional career.

“I won a national title within that little bit of time, and that gave me confidence to keep it going and turn professional,” Davis said. “If I could win a national tournament in a couple of months, the sky’s the limit for me.”

Maruffo, a 33-year-old from Phoenix, was once a sparring partner for Danny Garcia but has seen his career turn into testing young up-and-comers. Maruffo, 15-16-2 (2 KOs), protested the stoppage with swelling in both eyes.

Davis, meanwhile, was just grateful to fight. He saw multiple opponents fall out before the contest and was originally set to fight on ProBox TV’s Long Beach, California, show before being pushed back to Saturday’s show.

Davis hopes his work in the Maruffo win will lead to a 50-50 fight in his next bout.

“I am tired of this baby food,” Davis said. “I feel the better the competition, the better I fight. All I need is an opportunity. Once I get that, I am going to take advantage and win.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.