Anthony Dirrell playing pre-fight mind games with Kyrone Davis

Anthony Dirrell turned up the verbal heat on Kyrone Davis as he tossed around taunts and insults during their final media call before their boxing bout. 

Things have been mostly respectful between Anthony Dirrell and Kyrone Davis before their super middleweight boxing bout on Saturday, Feb. 27, but Dirrell threw insults during the final media conference.

Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 KOs) is a two-time super middleweight champion who lost the WBC belt in his last outing against David Benavidez in 2019. At 36 years old, Dirrell is trying to make another title run and put his TKO loss to Benavidez in the past.

Davis (15-2, 6 KOs) is fighting for the first time as a super middleweight. He had a strong amateur career, winning several amateur titles, but stalled a bit as a professional, losing twice, but insisted to FanSided that he has regained his passion for boxing and is confident that he can make a statement against Dirrell when they fight at the Shrine Exposition Center in a PBC on FOX main event.

During their first media call, Dirrell called Davis a good fighter but said he wasn’t on his level. In the media conference on the Thursday of fight week, Dirrell’s tone became antagonistic.

“He’s fat,” blurted out Dirrell about Davis. “He’s not big. He’s fat. Man, he’s a 160, 154-pounder. He knows better. He knows what he got himself into. He can collect that check and go back to rapping.”

Will Anthony Dirrell’s tough talk have an impact on Kyrone Davis?

Dirrell’s antics appear to be an attempt to get into the younger, inexperienced Davis’s head. Davis, to his credit, didn’t take the bait and stayed reserved and calm.

Dirrell repeatedly tried to ridicule Davis’s prowess as a boxer by mentioning Davis’s involvement with music. Davis raps under the name Ky Shut it Down, which includes part of his name and his ring nickname “Shut it Down.”

“It’s alright,” said Dirrell to Davis. “Collect that check, go back to rapping. It’s alright. Maybe you could walk me out one day.”

Even though the odds are against Davis, there have been several high-profile upsets early in 2021, most notably Josh Warrington’s knockout loss to Mauricio Lara. Dirrell isn’t worried about losing and hasn’t paid attention to those contests.

“You talking to Anthony Dirrell. I don’t know them people,” responded Dirrell to FanSided. “I’m gonna do me as I’ve been doing me.”

Dirrell was much more flippant in his demeanor and hostile in attitude towards Davis than in their media call a week before. It looks like as the fight nears, Dirrell is trying to get the mental advantage over Davis. He’s trying to engrain the mindset into Davis that he is out of his league and that he doesn’t stand a chance of triumphing.

Dirrell’s accomplishments are impressive. A Davis win would be a big upset. We’ll have to see if Dirrell’s words take a toll on Davis’s self-confidence.

You can watch Anthony Dirrell vs. Kyrone Davis on Saturday, Feb. 27, on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. Prelims air on FS1 starting at 7 p.m. ET.