Ohara Davies challenges Ismael Barroso for the WBA Interim super-lightweight title
Ohara Davies' career has seen plenty of controversies, antics, ups and downs, but a win on Saturday night will bear the fruits of a decade of hard labour.
Ohara Davies (25-2, 18KO) faces two-time world title contender Ismael Barroso (24-4-2, 22KO) in his Stateside debut on January 6.
The Londoner will be the first Brit to fight for a title in 2024, so despite all his controversies in the past, pretty much all of the UK – barring Liverpool, obviously – will be behind him for this biggest fight of his pro career.
As a troubled youth hanging around and getting into trouble on the rough estates of Hackney, never in a million years would that young Ohara or his gang of brethrens have imagined that one day he would be fighting for a version of a world title in Las Vegas on a Golden Boy Promotions show. Even debuting at the York Hall in 2014, the bright lights of the boxing capital of the world would still have seemed like a distant dream.
But here he is, after a 10-year pro career that has arguably seen more ups and downs than anyone else, just one fight away from a world title shot.
You could argue that Saturday’s fight with Venezuelan veteran Barroso is, in many ways, not his biggest night. His 2017 grudge match with bitter rival Josh Taylor, on free-to-air TV, had the boxing world hooked on a tale of hatred and hostility. Ultimately, it ended in defeat for Davies in the seventh round after he turned his back on "The Tartan Tornado", earning more criticism and hate on top of the pile of hostility he already receives.
But the 31-year-old Brit bagged the valuable experience and now heads into the most important fight of his career off the back of seven straight wins.
Last March, Davies put in a career-best performance to dismantle and destroy Lewis Ritson in front of his home crowd, in nine rounds, to become the WBA #1 super-lightweight contender.
Around four months later, he signed a contract with Golden Boy, and began his assault towards the WBA champion Rolly Romero. The American, however, withdrew from their purse bid with injury.
The outlandish champion Romero’s ‘recovery’ seems to have consisted of partying, calling for fights he has no intention of taking, such as Ryan Garcia, and getting owned by Devin Haney. The WBA 140lbs titlist is clearly enjoying living life as the champion, even though it was almost gifted to him.
His medical exemption has caused the WBA into bring the ‘Interim’ title into play for this contest between WBA #1 Davies and WBA #3 Barroso.
Despite the fact the South American southpaw is now 40, Barroso is still a big threat.
At the same time the Venezuelan sent Kevin Mitchell into retirement in 2015, Davies was only just moving up to eight-round contests when he was still only 9-0.
In his last fight he challenged for the vacant WBA World super-lightweight belt, having vied for the lightweight version seven years prior (Anthony Crolla won TKO 7), and was hard done by at the hands of some very dubious officiating.
Barroso dropped Romero in the third and was leading on all three judges’ scorecards when referee Tony Weeks stepped in after a fairly insignificant flurry of shots from Romero, while Barroso was still firing back.
The reaction from the oundits and live crowd told the story. It was a bizarre, unwarranted stoppage from such an experienced, high-profile referee.
Barroso was on-form that night, but also Romero is genuinely just not that great. So this is Davies best shot at becoming a world champion. Because WBC champ Devin Haney, IBF's Subriel Matias, WBO's Teofimo Lopez and IBO titlist Zhankosh Turarov will be a stretch too far for the Londoner. Haney and Lopez are both listed in The Ring's top 10 pound-for-pound world rankings, and Matias is going to be one to watch this year.
Davies just has one 40-year-old failed world title contender to get through to obtain a world title shot against a holder that is currently injured, ill disciplined, and also just not that good. This is not just his big chance, it's his only possible opportunity at becoming a world champion, because he won't be able to match any of the other four rulers.
The importance and significance of this opportunity has not been lost on Davies and his team, who travelled out to America during the festive period become acquainted with the Vegas clock for his US debut, similarly to when Hasim Rahman ventured out South Africa early to acclimatise and KO Lennox Lewis in 2001. Discerning Davies displaying due diligence.
Whilst Davies tries to work his way into prime position, Saturday night’s main event will witness the eagerly awaited return of Vergil Ortiz, whose 18-month layoff is due to a horrific case of Rhabdomyolysis, a disease that can lead to either fatal or paralysing kidney failure.
Once a feared addition to a stacked 147 division, exciting prospect Ortiz is ready to earn his stripes up at 154 this weekend, with trainer Robert Garcia even eyeing up future 160lb bouts for the Texan talent.
With 19 wins and 19 knockouts, the boxing world are keen to see the return of the unbeaten 25-yar-old, who defeated Michael McKinson in a WBA world welterweight title eliminator in his last fight in 2022.
Betting Odds
2/9 Davies
4/1 Barroso
18/1 Draw
Predictions
Barroso was unfairly blocked from becoming a world champion in his last fight. He was leading the WBA super-lightweight championship contest, and although anything could have happened in those championship rounds because it wasn't a given that he was going to win, but he should have been allowed to be there to see it through. He thoroughly deserves another shot at the title, but now he has to earn another victory to get a third world title tilt.
Davies isn't the best boxer in the world, his technique is a little lacking and he's a bit wild at times, and, as such, he has often been outboxed by better fighters, but he has power that can turn fights around with a single shot. He generates power in the way he turns his hips into his punches, especially his left and right hooks. Once he has an opponent in trouble, he has the sense and aggression to kill the fight off, like when he stopped Derry Mathews in 2017.
Barroso has been stopped three times from four reverses, so Davies will know full well that he will have the strength to hurt the Venezuelan. With 49 wins and 40 KOs between them, there's a very good chance this one won't go the distance. Barroso is known for overreaching and leaving himself open so he is avaible to be caught by a quick counter if Davies is switched on enough, which I fully expect him to be going by his preparation for this bout. He also carries his lead right hand a lottle low, just under his chin, so Davies should look to hand his left hook upstairs
At first, I thought that Davies could win a close fight on points, knowing that Barroso is a world-level, experienced operator with ambition, and Davies can't always match a good, skilful boxer, like Josh Taylor, Jack Catterall and even Miguel Vazquez. However, seeing all the opportunities he could have to land cleanly on Barroso, I can envisage Davies landing a big shot to stun the southpaw and, when he does, he will ensure he finishes him off.
It's so difficult to call because Barroso is a competent and powerful puncher, so he has the proven ability to be able to hurt and stop Ohara; in fact, 14 of his last 15 victories have ended in knockouts, plus he also possesses the skill and experience to be able to outbox Davies.
However, Davies is nine years his junior, still learning and improving, and also has the power to end this fight early. Crolla stopped Barroso with a body shot in their fight, and Davies is known for being able to land well to the body, just ask Lewis Ritson.
I believe Davies has the power to be able to stop Barroso to either body or head, and that the South American shows enough holes in his defense and style for the Brit to be able to land those big shots.
Davies to win by knockout in rounds 7-12.