Davis didn’t think it was necessary to box Albright again because the former WBO lightweight champ considers his 10-round, majority-decision victory over Albright in October 2023 conclusive evidence that he operates on another level. According to Davis (14-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC), whose win was changed to a no-contest, he only agreed to a rematch with Albright because his promoter, Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., pushed for it to happen.

“It never made sense to me,” Davis told The Ring. “Top Rank wanted the rematch, so they got what they wanted.”

Since the more meaningful fights Davis craves – namely with WBO welterweight champ Devin Haney and two Brits, welterweight contender Conor Benn and WBC super lightweight titleholder Dalton Smith – aren’t available, Top Rank executives pitched a second fight against Albright (17-2-1, 7 KOs, 1 NC) because their contentious history helps sell the event in Davis’ hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.

Albright also fought favored Frank Martin to a rare unanimous draw in his last fight February 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“Honestly, it was gonna come a time when he had no choice but to fight me again,” Albright told The Ring. “Like, I’m not going nowhere. My name is gonna stay relevant and I was gonna make it to where he had no choice but to fight me again. So, it was only a matter of time.”

Albright upset Davis’ older brother, then-unbeaten junior welterweight Kelvin Davis, by majority decision June 7 at Scope Arena. DAZN will stream the Keyshawn Davis-Albright rematch from the same venue.

“I definitely feel like me beating his brother helped get this fight made,” Albright said. “It was only a matter of time before we shared the ring again.”

Albright told assembled media during his post-fight press conference June 7 that Keyshawn Davis and his younger brother, junior welterweight prospect Keon Davis, entered his locker room, which was adjacent to Kelvin Davis’ locker room. No punches were thrown, but Albright said Keyshawn Davis confronted him and he was left with a visible abrasion on his face from the skirmish.

The incident worsened what was already an awful weekend for Keyshawn Davis.

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist was scheduled to make his first defense of the WBO lightweight title against Edwin De Los Santos in the 12-round main event June 7. Davis came in 4.3 pounds overweight the previous day, which led Sampson Lewkowicz, De Los Santos’ promoter, to pull him out of their bout because he believed the weight disadvantage was unsafe for De Los Santos.

The WBO immediately stripped Davis of its 135-pound championship.

Albright’s victory over Kelvin Davis ended a 19-month layoff that began after his close loss to Keyshawn Davis at Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas.

Keyshawn Davis beat Albright on the cards of judges Robert Hoyle (96-94) and David Sutherland (97-93). Judge John Basile scored their fight a draw, 95-95.

“It was a competitive fight,” Keyshawn Davis said. “[Basile’s scorecard] was just a bad day [for Basile]. I don’t think it was even at all. The win was pretty decisive.”

The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation changed the official result to a no-contest because Davis tested positive for marijuana, which remains a banned substance for boxers who compete in that state.