Signed by Golden Boy, mandatory to WBA champ Rolando Romero… Ohara Davies is close to fulfilling his boxing dreams
Ben Winward looks back at what has been a bumpy road, paying credit to a fighter who, at many points has been written off, is now looking set to challenge for the WBA 140lb belt
The trajectory of the career of Ohara Davies (25-2, 18KO) has been anything but straight forward. In 2016, the exciting prospect was under the Matchroom banner. An eccentric and charismatic character outside the ring, notwithstanding a healthy hint of arrogance, Eddie Hearn knew he had somebody who was highly marketable. Whether you wanted to see him win or see him get knocked out, if built in the right way, Davies was someone that fight fans would tune in to watch. After a string of victories on Sky, it was evident that ‘Two Tanks’ was unafraid to play the role of the villain amongst his fellow pugilists, taking particular aim at a fellow rising star in future undisputed champ Josh Taylor.
Despite these two prospects going back and forth and momentum building for a future fight, we first got a taste of an Ohara Davies big fight build up against Liverpudlian former world title challenger Derry Mathews, who at this point was very much in the twilight of his career. Depending on your disposition, in the build-up you may have found the Hackney born Super Lightweight an amusing wind-up merchant and salesman, or instead perhaps brash and irksome. On this occasion however, Davies backed up his talk, blasting Mathews out in three rounds, suggesting he may in fact have the skills inside the ring to match his braggadocious persona outside.
Things were looking good at this stage, following which the domestic grudge match between Davies and Josh Taylor was set. A fight that to this day he doesn’t really get the credit for taking. Here, however, is when ‘OD’ suffered his first significant setback. He was stopped in the seventh round, of which there is no shame at all, however the manner of which the fight ended gave his critics prime opportunity to twist the knife. At the bout’s conclusion, following already being sent to the canvas from a peach of a catch and shoot right hook, a strong straight left from the crafty Scotsman landed flush on Davies nose, clearly inflicting some serious damage upon impact. Immediately turning around in pain after suffering what he knew was a broken nose, the referee jumped in to halt proceedings. A seventh round TKO loss was the official result, but what must have hurt more was the widely held opinion he had quit.
Following this, plenty of big fights were still out there for the hard-hitting Londoner, and after a comeback win the there was beginning to be talk of another sizeable domestic clash against Hull’s Tommy Coyle. Here, however, is where the career of the enigmatic Junior Welterweight reached one of its lowest junctures. Knowing Coyle did not like ‘The Sun’ newspaper, in Davies’ mercurial mind because they ran a story claiming Tommy Coyle allowed convicted criminals to train kids in his gym, Davies tweeted ‘The Sun is my favourite newspaper. I will wear their logo on my shorts and they will work with Eddie Hearn to promote my fight one day. After I knock you out my first interview will be with the Sun.’
As one can imagine, this tweet sparked mass outrage, not helped by the fact he already wasn’t top of the popularity list in Liverpool considering his former rivalry with Derry Mathews. Davies since apologised, claiming he was unaware of the Hillsborough disaster entirely and the resulting boycott of the newspaper across Merseyside, citing he wasn’t a football fan and the tragedy happening before he was born. He simply knew Tommy Coyle didn’t like them, hence providing him an easy angle to get under his skin and add some needle to a potential showdown.
For right or for wrong following the public outcry, for Matchroom it was one step out of line too many, and ‘OD’ was suddenly dropped from his promotional contract.
After the outrage had died down and most boxing fan’s accepted Davies plea of ignorance, he bagged himself a deal with Frank Warren. A couple of wins reestablished his name, before another setback came in 2018, in the form of a dull 12 round points decision loss to undefeated Mancunian Jack Catterall.
Given the level both Taylor and Catterall have shown they are at since, there really is no shame in either defeat. Yet with two losses to his name in his two biggest fights, on top of a history of controversy with segments of the British fans, you would be forgiven for thinking his career may have dwindled from this point, but ‘Two Tanks’ determination to succeed in the face of adversity remained steely.
Since this point, Davies has slowly but surely rebuilt himself into his current position of WBA mandatory challenger. After the loss to Catterall, a solid victory over Miguel Vasquez was followed by entry to MTK’s ‘Golden Contract’ tournament. This provided an excellent springboard to build some momentum, stopping unbeaten American Logan Yoon and the stubbornly tough Jeff Ofori before getting the nod in a razor thin decision over another new rival of his, Tyrone McKenna, in the final. Three more wins have since followed, the latest an impressive ninth round stoppage over the hard-hitting toon fan favourite Lewis Ritson, finishing matters with a beautifully placed left hook to the body.
With seven wins on the bounce, Davies is now mandatory challenger for fellow divisive character, Las Vegas based Rolando Romero’s ‘WBA’ belt. You really can’t do anything but applaud the perseverance of a fighter whose own industry has at times turned its’s back and own fans berated. Purse bids have been delayed due to an injury for the current belt holder, but it is highly likely this matchup is what will be served up next, especially since Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions has just signed the Brit.
Although Davies skills may be found wanting against the elite names of the division, the fight with the 15-1, 13KO American does actually present a fantastic chance to get his hands on a world title. Romero has shown significant flaws in recent outings, with his poor defence being highlighted against Gervonta Davis, when after falling over his own right hand, squaring his feet entirely and leaving his chin aloft, Romero was met with a vicious left hook, sending him crashing to the canvas and the fight subsequently waved off. Last time out his skills in general looked questionable at world championship level, seemingly headed to defeat against 40-year-old veteran Ismail Barroso, before the referee jumped in to award the now WBA champion a very questionable stoppage victory, after a sustained but hardly brutal attack in round nine.
If Ohara Davies can secure the victory against Romero, huge fights and pay days against the likes of Ryan Garcia could await. A sensational turn around in a career containing several moments of doubt. If this is how things play out, in just a few months’ time, it is entirely possible that not Josh Taylor and not Jack Catterall, but Ohara Davies will be the one British Super Lightweight with a world title belt around their waist. Who would have predicted that a few years ago?
Here’s hoping he manages to pull it off.
Article sponsored by HÖRFA