By Harvey Hudson
OVER the past 18 months, Liam Davies has shown he has one of the most entertaining styles in British boxing and has continued to deliver value for money.
“I train very hard, so I’m very comfortable knowing I can do 12 rounds, so that’s a big start,” Davies explains when asked about his all-action style and the appeal to fight fans.
“I just like to get down there and get down to business. I’m one of them fighters where I smell blood and like to go for it. It does seem entertaining but that’s just my style and luckily people enjoy that, so they are definitely gunna see more of it.
“To me, it’s them or me. I level up or them. The hunger on the nights that I turn up, I go in the ring with a bit of a chip on my shoulder to be honest.”
In his previous bout in March, he stopped Mexican puncher Erik Robles Ayala inside two rounds. The Mexican was coming into the fight with real ambition, having beaten Lee McGregor unanimously in a toe-to-toe war the previous July.
“I believe that night was meant to be for me,” adds Davies. “I knew I was up against it. I feel like I shown that I belong at this level. As you said, he’s a great fighter, Robles and I done a number on him. It just shows that I am a force to be reckoned with at super-bantam.”
Liam Davies (right) needed little time to beat Erik Robles on March 16. (James Chance/Getty Images)
The win added the IBO strap to Davies’ collection, a fighter who has picked up English, British and European titles. Davies recognises that the IBO world title is often held with less regard but nevertheless understands the opportunities that the title can bring.
“I understand that it’s not one of the major four [world titles], but it definitely gets my foot in the door and I’m a world champion,” Davies explains.
Davies now looks towards his upcoming IBO world title defence against undefeated southpaw Shabaz Masoud, a rivalry that goes back to the amateur days. The fight was initially scheduled as part of Queensberry promotions’ ‘Magnificent Seven’ card in July; however, it was pushed back to November 2nd due to a virus Davies contracted.
“It was a hard time for me because as fighters we live to fight, don’t we?” says Davies. “It’s something I look back on now and it was probably a good call by my team but I was still mad.
“As I said, we live to fight and as a boxer it’s the only time we get paid, so the more fights the better. It’s one of them, I’m a big believer in what’s meant to be will be. It wasn’t meant to be for that date, but November 2nd is a few weeks out and I’m counting down the days like a kid at Christmas.”
“I don’t really take anything from it; it’s all words at the minute,” answers Davies, as Boxing News asks if he had any takeaways from the recent launch press conference. “The only thing that matters to me is Saturday the 2nd of November where I get my chance to prove once again for the 17th time that I’m coming and I’m on my way up.
“Its gunna be a good fight and it’s got a lot of interest, he’s undefeated so it just makes sense and is a perfect fight. He beat me twice as an amateur and now it’s my time to get my revenge when it matters most.”
At the launch press conference, Davies mentioned that the fight had some personal elements and history. Boxing News asked Davies what he meant by this, aside from his amateur losses.
“It’s just the way I took things really,” he explains. “He boxed for a club that was local to us when he beat me, then moved there. There’s a lot of competition in the local area which I understand, but I took things as they are trying to downplay everything I’d done and just keep referring back to the amateurs. I can promise them it’s gunna be a lot different in a few weeks’ time.
“Talk’s cheap, isn’t it? I just can’t wait to prove them wrong. I feel like there’s a lot of jealousy when people do well. It doesn’t frustrate me, but I just don’t understand it. When anyone does well I will always say fair play to them. Maybe it’s just a tactic, I don’t know. All I know is I’m ready to go and the kid’s going to have to be something special to take my title off me.”
When looking back at how his career has panned out, Davies recognises the moment of pivotal change and the events life threw at him that led to this. Davies detailed how his Grandad’s passing led him to stray from boxing in his youth. His grandad had been his main coach, and this caused him to lose motivation, eventually leading to him having to restart and get himself going again.
Liam Davies throws a right uppercut (Getty Images)
He identifies the moment his professional career made a significant turning point. He explains that this was after his uncle passed away at the age of only 36, just before his first British title fight in 2022. The news was sobering and made Davies re-evaluate his boxing career.
Davies explained how his uncle had been a big supporter of his and had always urged him to chase his dreams, having been a talented footballer and letting go of a career himself, which led to regret. Davies highlighted how this moment urged him to push on and acted as a wakeup call, with his career been on an upwards trajectory ever since.
“I look at life as we have got a book to write with everything we do,” Davies reflects. “Everyone writes their own little book, don’t they? I am super motivated to make it a good one and bring good times back to my family.”
“It opened my eyes to life, that you could be here and gone tomorrow. We don’t talk about it, but I just want to make my family proud; it’s a nice feeling. I hope my loved ones who are not with us anymore are just as proud.
“You never know, this ain’t to do with boxing but I don’t know what goes on in the afterlife, but it would be lovely to see them again with the achievements that I have achieved.”
Davies recognises that a win will elevate his career even further, but also that his attitude to taking fights will continue to remain the same.
“The only question I ask my manager is how much, everything else doesn’t really matter,” he laughs. “Tell me how much I’m getting and what time I’ve got to be there and I’ll see you all there, that’s how I roll.”
If he is victorious on November 2nd, Davies’ next step would be a shot at Naoya Inoue’s super bantamweight world titles. ‘The Monster’ currently dominates the division and has made his mark as a pound-for-pound elite-level fighter.
“I have done this since I had my first fight at eleven years old,” Davies explains, when questioned on the potential fight in Japan and his career ambitions.
“I have been in the gym all my life watching my father and obviously my grandad being head coach. I am in this sport to become the best and that’s the man to beat, so for sure. I am gunna do a number on Shabaz on 2nd November and I’m gunna respectfully say this is the man I want next.
“Otherwise, I don’t see no point in me staying at super bantam because I’ve done everything. I don’t want to just keep defending an IBO world title. I’ve got more goals, and featherweight would be a great division to move up to and chase down what I’ve done as a super bantam.”
