Ohara Davies claimed extra oxygen in hotel prevented his sleep
Following his first round KO defeat to Ismael Barroso on January 6, Ohara Davies blamed the casino he stayed in for a lack of sleep due to the oxygen they pump into the air vents in the hotel rooms.
The 31-year-old stated in a video he posted online, “So they have a casino on the ground floor in this hotel and people do know that what they do in a casino, they make the temperature perfect, they put more oxygen into the vents. This isn’t a conspiracy, this is actual facts, and they pump extra oxygen into the atmosphere, into the casinos, so that people can be in there all day gambling and not be tired.
“That’s why you go to certain ones and you see people there from morning to night, they’re not tired, they don’t need no sleep because they’re pumping more oxygen into the air.
“In our bedrooms, they had big air vents, and I realised I was up – I was going to bed at 11:30-12 o’clock at night – I was up at 3 o’clock in the morning. I’m just laying down, I can’t sleep, and I’ll be on my phone scrolling through Instagram.
“And while I was doing that at 3 in the morning, I realised that the other people that are here with me, there was about six of us, they were on Instagram too, I’m thinking ‘what are you doing up at this time?’, they’re thinking ‘what are you doing up at this time? You’re about to fight!’
“I’m like ‘I can’t sleep’. They’re like ‘I can’t sleep too’. In my mind I’m thinking maybe it’s just the jetlag, or the after-effects of the jetlag. You got big air vents in every room that was in the hotel, this is what I should have known. I should have realised this earlier, got out of the hotel and booked an Airbnb and stayed in an Airbnb.”
Two-weight world champion Regis Prograis was quick to reply to the video clip posted online to point out that Barroso shared the exact same conditions as Davies, “His opponent slept in the same place”.
The Londoner responded straight back, “We’re not sure who slept in that hotel,” he rebuked the former WBC titlist. “Watch the whole video where I explain. It was a good effort a few weeks ago where Devin Haney slept bombs on your face for twelve rounds.”
Davies opened the video clip but admitting he overreached, made a mistake at the highest level, then took time to praise his opponent in a very sports like manner, “It was a very good shot and I want to congratulate Ismael Barroso on his win.”
The Fight Review
The Brit reflected back on the fight in detail, “So I’ve watched the fight back; listen, I made a mistake. I rushed in when I shouldn’t have rushed in. I should have been a bit more patient, but, you know, it was a mistake that I made, at this level you cant afford to make certain mistakes like I did, and I paid for it in a big way.
“My pride is very hurt right now. I thought I was going to bed being the champion. I planned to sleep with the belt tonight, I wanted to take the belt to bed with me tonight and sleep with it and then go back home and get the belt framed up on the wall in my flat. This isn’t happening, so my pride is very hurt right now.
“What can I do but just take some time off and then come back stronger. This ain’t gonna be the end of me. I love the support I’m getting form everyone. I saw Freddie Roach and he came up to me and he gave me really good advice; Nonito Donaire, another boxer in the gym, came up to me and gave me some good advice; I saw Rolly Rolando, even though we’ve had our differences, him and his dad they’re good people, they came up to me they said ‘It’s ok, shit happens’.
“So, you know, the support I’m getting, it’s good, it made me feel a bit happier, but ultimately, I’m still very disappointed that I’m not going to bed as the champion.
“Because I worked very hard for this fight, I worked very hard this camp, I done sparring with the best fighters, great fighters, I had really good spars in the gym, I’ve trained for months and months and months and the fight lasted about a minute and a half because I got caught with a good shot.
“Anyway, it’s all about how you come back, I’m not gonna let this hold me down. Yeah, what more can I say, just got to come back stronger.”
In the first round of the fight, Davies leaned in with a very laboured right hand to the body in the opening seconds that missed by a mile. He managed to land a left hook around the back of the head shortly after. Then he threw a right hook that was again very slow and just swiped the air over the top of Barroso’s head, as the veteran rolled under to come up with a quick left hook counter to head of Davies.
Then OD missed for a third time with that sluggish right hand, which is when the Venezuelan countered with that big left hook on the chin to stun the Brit and subsequently floor him so early into the fight.
Kudos to the hard Hackney man for getting back up, even throwing back, but he was badly hurt, his senses had gone, and was in no fit state to continue. Referee Celestino Ruiz asked him if he would like to continue and did not receive a convincing answer, causing the fight to be rightfully waved off at 1:53 of the first round.
The disparity in levels was evident for all to see, but the ambitious ‘Two Tanks’ is keen to get straight back to the ring to continue to compete at the highest level possible.
“I’ve told Lee [Eaton, manager] that I’m not interested in rebuilding fights. If I can’t compete with the best, then I’m washed up,” said Davies.
“I will sit down and watch Adam Azim or Dalton Smith take the throne – next fight. I want Ramirez, Regis, somebody on this level. I’m ready in early May,” he concluded.