Keyshawn Davis, having stopped Jamaine Ortiz, called for more respect and mentioned he hoped for future fights with Devin Haney, Lewis Crocker and Dalton Smith.
Davis, who had not seen action for nearly 12 months, since claiming the WBO lightweight title against Denys Berinchyk in February last year.
He boxed Ortiz at 14lbs, stopping him in the 12th and final round.
“It’s been a long time coming from my last fight to night,” the Norfolk star said at the post-fight press conference. “There was a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs and nights where I just really didn’t want to do this anymore, and you don’t even know half of how I even got here tonight just to perform. How I got the knockout is crazy because I always dreamed to get a knockout in the 12th round, that was always my dream so to do it with an opponent like Jamaine Ortiz, on my return, in front of 20,000 fans, that’s God. I feel like He turned my whole career around.
“I’m back and I’m better and I promised you a knockout and I got y’all that.”
Davis, still only 26, added: “I want you all to give me more credit. My last three opponents never been stopped before, never been dropped before, [Gustavo] Lemos, Berinchyk and now Jamiane and I moved up in weight and stopped them, I’m for real. Put anyone in front of me, I’m gonna stop them. Put your money on it.”
There had been plenty of back and forth with him and Haney all week, and asked what would happen if they fought, David replied assertively: “Knockout.”
He said he’d been talking to promoter Eddie Hearn about other possible fights, and said he’d like to headline in Britain against IBF 147lbs champion Lewis Crocker or newly-minted WBC 140lbs champion Dalton Smith.
“He’s got that strap that I want,” said Davis.
