Keyshawn Davis Alleges Racist Gift Sent by Denys Berinchyk and Team

Keyshawn Davis has alleged that a racist gift box was sent to his hotel room by Denys Berinchyk and his team.

Davis made the allegation Wednesday afternoon via a post on X. The post also contains a picture of the box in question containing several bananas and a watermelon. Both men are scheduled to fight each other on February 14 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, for the WBO lightweight world title held by Berinchyk.

Keyshawn Davis Alleges Racist Gift Sent by Denys Berinchyk and Team

Keyshawn Davis Post to X

In addition to receiving the box, a note was also attached.

“Here’s a snack for all those hight [sic] jumps stay energized businesswom..[sic],” read the note in English.

In his post to X about receiving the box, Davis expressed his belief that it had been sent by Berinchyk and his team.

“denys berinchyk [sic] & his team sent this to my room. I never thought bro was racist but this fight just got a little more personal. #firstroundKO,” the post read.

Press Conference Confrontation

At the press conference that was held after Davis made the post, he repeated the allegation.

“I want to address the fact that this guy [Berinchyk] came to America to give me bananas and watermelon with a note on it. It’s unprofessional and I feel like it’s racist and you just made this fight a little more personal.”

“Y’all heard what I said. This man brought a box of bananas and a watermelon to America to bring to my room and I took it as racist, so I got something for you.”

Presenter Mark Shunock then turned to Berinchyk for comment.

“First thing I want to say [is] that I don’t speak English and I don’t write English ’cause I saw his message on the media,”said Berinchyk through an interpreter and appearing to deny the allegation. “It’s weird just even to mention this. Some people with bad intentions looking for some hype made this…” he continued before being cut off by Davis.

“Y’all did it. It’s ok that y’all did it. I’m gonna whoop your ass for it. Just come Friday night, just know what’s going to happen to the both of you [referring to Berinchyk and his promoter and interpreter Alex Krassyuk],” said Davis.

“First thing you need to do is to make weight and afterwards on Friday night we’re gonna sort it out,” responded Berinchyk.

After that statement, Davis asked Shunock to move on. When it was time to do the customary faceoff, the American repeatedly shouted the word racist to the face of Berinchyk.

THIS JUST GOT PERSONAL 😤

A FIERY FACE-OFF FROM NYC. #BerinchykKeyshawn | FEB 14 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/0y8DEy4qug

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 12, 2025

Denis Berinchyk’s Response

After the press conference, a boxing journalist known as The Boxing Source on X approached Berinchyk and a member of his team to ask about the box. Team Berinchyk denied having anything to do with the box.

“Denys don’t know about all of this stuff,” said the team member. “He don’t send nothing. He don’t know. It’s Keyshawn problem.”

Denys Berinchyk says that he had nothing to do with the package that was sent to Keyshawn Davis#BerinchykKeyshawn pic.twitter.com/9qRxBnYHzd

— The Boxing Source (@boxingsource2) February 12, 2025

The Racist Implications Behind the Gift Box

According to the National Museum of African American Culture & History, watermelons once symbolized self-sufficiency among African Americans. Following Emancipation, many Southern African Americans grew and sold the fruit and it eventually came to symbolize their freedom. However, Southern whites reacted to this by turning the fruit into a symbol of poverty. Black watermelon merchants were shamed for selling the fruit.

In an article in The Conversation by Wulf Hund and Charles Mills, they explain that comparing Black people to monkeys has been occurring for years. Even today, there are instances of bananas being thrown at Black sportspeople as a racist provocation, something that is tied to comparing Black people to monkeys.

While Berinchyk may not have been the one to send the box with a watermelon and bananas, there is no denying that both fruits have been used as racist provocations in the past towards Black people. The least Davis and his team should expect from this is a proper investigation into who sent the box.