Kelvin Davis (boxer) facts for kids

Kelvin Davis (born May 26, 1978) is an American boxer. He was a champion in the cruiserweight division. He held the IBF (International Boxing Federation) cruiserweight title.

About Kelvin Davis

Kelvin Davis was known as "Concrete" because of his tough fighting style. He was a "pressure fighter," meaning he liked to keep moving forward and put pressure on his opponents. He started his professional boxing career in 1999.

Early Career and First Title Shot

Kelvin Davis had a great start to his career. He didn't lose any of his first 20 fights. This included a draw (a tie) with a boxer named David Vedder. He also won against Arthur Williams, who used to be an IBF champion.

His first loss came against Ravea Springs. After this, in 2003, he had an important fight. This was an "eliminator" fight against O'Neil Bell. An eliminator fight helps decide who gets to challenge for a championship title. Kelvin Davis lost this fight.

Becoming a Champion

Even after his loss, the IBF gave Kelvin Davis another chance. He fought Louis Azille in another eliminator match. Davis won this fight by a close decision.

In 2004, Kelvin Davis fought Ezra Sellars for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. "Vacant" means no one held the title at that time. Davis won the fight and became the IBF champion! However, he never defended his title in another match.

Later Fights

After winning the title, Kelvin Davis faced some tough opponents. In 2005, he lost to Guillermo Jones and then to Steve Cunningham. He also had a draw with heavyweight boxer Charles Shufford in 2006. In 2007, he was knocked out by Darnell Wilson.

Facing a Major Injury

In June 2007, Kelvin Davis was training for a fight against Shane Cameron. During a training run, he had a serious accident. To avoid a car, he jumped over the Upper Harbour Bridge in Auckland, New Zealand. This jump caused him severe injuries.

He broke his neck and his back in two places. He had to stay in the hospital in New Zealand for a month. After 11 hours of surgery, many people thought he might not be able to box again. But Kelvin Davis showed incredible strength. He recovered fully and was back in the boxing ring just four months later!

Return to the Ring and Retirement

After his amazing recovery, Kelvin Davis returned to boxing in November 2007. His first fight back was against Carl Davis Drumond, who had never lost a fight. Kelvin Davis lost this match.

He continued to fight but struggled to win. He was winless in his last eight fights. Some of these losses were quick knockouts, including against Eric Fields and Alexander Frenkel.

Kelvin Davis decided to retire from boxing on January 18, 2008. He announced his retirement live on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights after a loss to Eric Fields.

See also

• List of cruiserweight boxing champions