by Declan Taylor
LIAM DAVIES and Shabaz Masoud are set to meet in a Shropshire derby that started way back in the amateurs. The pair are undefeated and approach this clash knowing that world title opportunities will likely await the winner – but which of their victories to date have been the best? We have a look.
LIAM DAVIES
3. vs Marc Leach, 11.6.2022, Telford – W UD 12
It is amazing to think now that Leach was a hot favourite going into this contest. He was the reigning and defending British super-bantamweight and was just three months on from giving the undefeated Chris Bourke a boxing lesson at York Hall – and many thought Davies would go the same way. But in front of a bumper crowd at the Telford International Centre the home favourite did the business. Inside a minute of the first Davies was cut badly by a clash of heads but within seconds he dropped the southpaw Leach heavily. He could barely miss with the straight right hand all night and won a unanimous decision to clinch the Lord Lonsdale belt.
2. vs Jason Cunningham, 29.7.2023, Telford – W TKO 1
Much like this clash with Masoud, there was a lot of needle during the build-up to this domestic showdown with the experienced former British, Commonwealth and European champion. But Davies drew an empathic line under this rivalry by seeing off Cunningham inside the first round. Back in front of his noisy fans at the Telford International Centre, Davies made a searing start and dropped Cunningham for the first time with a minute left of the opener. Davies then patiently stalked the veteran until going in for the finish, with Victor Loughlin jumping in to end what had turned into a savage beating.
Davies (R) made it a successive hat-rick of stoppages against Ayala (L). (Getty Images).
1. vs Erik Robles Ayala, 16.3.2024, Birmingham – W TKO 2
Erik Robles Ayala arrived in England on a run of three straight victories against previously undefeated opponents, including Scotland’s Lee McGregor. He had also been sparring Naoya Inoue in preparation for this clash with Davies and, at 23, was full of ambition as the IBO champion. The Mexican southpaw had made a decent start and landed a few shots of his own in the first round but Davies took full control of this firefight in the second and dropped Ayala with a picturebook uppercut-hook combination. The visitor somehow climbed to his feet but Davies jumped straight on him to close the show.
SHABAZ MASOUD
3. vs Yoann Boyeaux, 18.3.2022, Dubai – W RTD 2
This had been billed as something of a step-up for the 9-0 Masoud against experienced Frenchman Yoann Boyeaux. In 49 fights, he had only been beaten six times and only once inside the distance – by none other than Inoue, while he had taken Paul Butler the distance previously too. As such, he was expected to at least provide Masoud with some rounds but Masoud turned up the heat in the second, landing heavily to head and body. Boyeaux did will to make it to the end of the round still standing but his corner decided not to let him out for the third.
2. vs Diego Alberto Ruiz, 13.11.2021, Houghton-le-Spring – W pts 10
Although his Argentinean opponent was no world beater, he was far more experienced than Masoud and had only lost once in the previous five years, a ninth round stoppage defeat to Michael Conlan in Belfast. Masoud, meanwhile, was fighting for the first time over 10 rounds, having never previously gone beyond six. But he handled this occasion with aplomb and dominated pretty much the entire fight, earning a 99-91 decision in the eyes of referee Marcus McDonnell.
Masoud’s best win came against Jack Bateson in November 2022.
1. vs Jack Bateson, 11.11.2022, Sheffield – W TKO 12
The bookmakers made 17-0 Jack Bateson a reasonably firm favourite for this one and Masoud, who was 10-0 at the time, had said in the build-up that they had all made a big mistake. And so it proved in Yorkshire as Masoud controlled large portions of the fight to build up a sizeable lead on the cards and then found a big finish with just one minute remaining in the fight. The first knockdown came after 1:05 of the round when a left hand counter put Bateson down heavily. The Leeds man beat the count but Masoud was all over him and referee Howard Foster jumped in to wave it off.
