DAVIS DANDY IN CLAIMING IBF BELT By George Elsasser

 

Photo Credit: Tom Casino

He's Kelvin Davis ... carries the sobriquet "Koncrete" ... and at 5' 7" and 190 pounds he wears it like a finely tailored Armani ... and may I add, this kid at age 25 is still in the learning stages.

But come last noche's bid for the vacant IBF strap with veteran Ezra Sellers it would be Davis in the role of tutor ~ and for those that are impressed with paper, as in tale of the tape stats ... well, lissen up.

Davis enters with resumé of 20-2-1, 14 KOs while Sellers ( 27-5, 24 KOs) arrives equal in poundage at 190 but over a frame of 4 inches taller at 5' 11" ... and that other item ... Ezra works from the port side ... and for some, this "tale" translates to a stacked deck for the 35 year old veteran.

But not to be ...  from the opening bell it was Davis bringing the mail and Sellers doing the reading ... and then stanza two it's Davis early and Sellers out of the shell late in action round.

First hint of handwriting on the wall saw Sellers dropped late in candle four ... gets worse in number five with Ezra not only hurt but cut over left eye - and so it continued into stanza eight.

Davis finally dropped the curtain, along with a game but badly beaten Sellers, at the 2:38 mark of eight following two big knockdowns that were clones of one another ~ as in courtesy of the right hand/left hook combinations.

Post Marks ~ Kelvin Davis: What caught the eye here was the new look ... still loads up with them blockbusters but has better technique than before. A prior missing in action is a today visible bob & weave with emphasis on defense while bringing it to the other guy. Good chin held up on them few Sellers moments with the right uppercuts. Davis now looks ahead to the unify game ... also pointed out at post fite ring interview he wants all them Cruiser straps but is also 4-0 when in with heavyweights.
                     Ezra Sellers: drops to 27-6, 24 KOs ... appeared the late second round exchange delivered the wrong message ... put Ezra in a defensive mode until the bitter end. At a now age 35 is pretty much in a pick and choose situation.

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Semi final WBA Middleweight title challenge ended on a quick note when stranger Maselino Masoe stopped Evans Ashira in stanza two ... end came at 44 seconds mark after Ashie went down from hard right hand and no sooner upright he's down from big left hook.
Surprising is that Ashira had opening candle to himself while in aggressor role and Masoe playing defense ... but late in candle Masoe had seen enuf - scores knockdown late in candle courtesy of right hand.
Comments: Maselino Masoe ~ had late start in pro game ... negative is age 37 ... positive is big hitter with both hands ... helper is stingy with the outgoing early on.
                    Evans Ashira ~ Enters this one undefeated at 23-0, 13 KOs ... also no kid at age 34 ... looked a bit stressed ... fighters once shrugged off getting caught cold by chalking it up to simply not getting off - and renowned yesterday radio personality Paul Harvey would likely point to next fite and shout "For the rest of the story."

GEL

5-01-2004