ASINIA BYFIELD spent his summer in Las Vegas, annoying Floyd Mayweather with his treatment of Gervonta Davis in the process, as he trained at Mayweather’s Gym.
The colourful Southern Area super-welterweight champion headed there for two weeksโ training with manager Mickey Helliet โ and talked himself into a โdoghouseโ spar with Gervonta Davis, with Floyd Mayweather – ahead of his contest with Conor McGregor – watching intently.
โFrom the moment I got there, I made a lot of noise,โ the 28-year-old from Reading told Boxing News, โand was calling everyone out. They didnโt like it!
โThey got fed up of my mouth and they were thinking: โLetโs get in there and shut him up!โ They were queuing up to spar me!
โThe first day I did eight rounds with Gervonta โ and then a ninth round that went on for around 20 minutes. That was in the doghouse. I got through it and at the end, I still felt strong, but Gervonta was fading and Floyd wasnโt happy! He stormed out of the gym.”
Just weeks later, Davis lost his world title on the scales before turning in a poor performance on the Mayweather-McGregor undercard.
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โGervonta was strong, but I figured him out and the second time we sparred, I was all over him and he didnโt want to know. I was already confident โ and now Iโm super confident. My head has really grown.โ
The lofty, fluid switch hitter showed his confidence when bursting Sam McNessโs bubble at the Copper Box Arena in July.
BT Sport viewers saw Byfield totally dominate the unbeaten West Hammer, outboxing at first him and then stepping it up to force a fifth-round stoppage and keep his Southern Area title.
Byfield is now back in Reading and training with Craig Piner in preparation for his next fight, a defence of his Southern Area belt against Max Wicks (6-1-1) at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on Saturday, October 7.
That fight goes ahead on a Cyclone Promotions show โ and Byfield says he owes much to Barry McGuigan.
โI sparred Carl Frampton and Conrad Cummings before my debut,โ said father-of-five Byfield, โand Barry told me: โYou are British-title level, 100 per cent.โ
โThat gave me a lot of belief. The British title is my target and Iโm up there now, but whether they can find anyone to fight me, I donโt know.โ
Helliet admits that at first, he had rather more modest ambitions for Byfield.
โWhen I first saw Asinia spar I thought: โHe will make a good journeyman. Heโs hard to hit and he isnโt a puncher,โโ said Helliet, who has around 70 fighters on his books and promotes regularly in the capital.
โI was going to get him a few wins, then put him on the road. But with every fight, heโs improved and I changed my mind.”