Muhammad Ali the ‘standard bearer’ of educated trash talk

First came the fight, and then Keyshawn Davis weighed in.

That’s the new order of business in boxing today, and unbeaten lightweight contender Davis – a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist – maximized the tactic Saturday night after watching his Top Rank stablemate and fellow lightweight Raymond Muratalla notch a victory by decision over former 130-pound champion Tevin Farmer.

“You’re a bum,” Davis posted on X.  ”You really lost last night, man. Let’s fight this year so I can show you how sorry you really are.” 

On Wednesday’s episode of ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters,” the transformation of boxing trash talk to instantaneous social-media posts and video-website interviews was put in focus.

“I’m not objecting. It’s good. Trash talk always hypes things up,” analyst Paulie Malignaggi said.

Davis, the lightweight division’s WBC, WBO and IBF No. 3 contender, and Muratalla, the second-ranked WBO and WBC contender ranked No. 4 by the IBF, are both on the short list of possible opponents for new WBO champion Denys Berinchyk.

“Same stable, a fight that absolutely can be made … (they’re) in the same slot, working for a title shot,” said former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri on “Deep Waters.”

Algieri said pursuing the bout in such feverish, “neck-and-neck” competition is “old school.”

Malignaggi praised the pair for creating their own “hype and buzz to get the attention of the fan base and the opponent,” rather than waiting on the time-honored ways of letting a publicist manufacture the friction by arranging interviews with newspaper reporters, or by letting their promoter set the agenda.

Still, Malignaggi maintained skepticism, raising the possibility that Top Rank is encouraging the in-house rivalry to raise the profiles of both fighters as they pursue a title.

“Davis is probably favored based on what we see, but what if (Top Rank) gives Muratalla the title shot first and then Davis comes in and beats him?” Malignaggi said. “Then Muratalla is an ex-champion who still has (that distinction) and the rivalry brews.”

Algieri said young fighters, led by Ryan Garcia, have worked to pursue viral social-media posts and reacting rapidly to news to attach their high-profile name to the high-profile event – a fast-forward version of what the great Muhammad Ali used to do to sell a fight.

“Technology multiplies the effect,” Malignaggi said. “We’ve seen it (develop) with (Floyd) Mayweather and Tyson Fury … Ali is the standard bearer.”