2024 was a mixed year for Liam Davies. The Telford tornado started by bulldozing Mexican Erik Robles Ayala to win the IBO super-bantamweight title, only to lose that belt to slippery Shabaz Masoud.
Now the self-described overachiever (he only wanted to win a British title in memory of his grandfather) returns against Lisburn’s Kurt Walker, an Irish Olympian who wants to finally add that signature name to his 12-0 record after a slow-burning start to his professional career.
“I feel like I’ve got a new chapter in my career. Last year, I had my biggest win and my first loss as a professional. I got a chance to look back on everything I’d done, pat myself on the back, and I’m coming to do it all again with much more experience,” said Davies at today’s press conference.
Moving up to featherweight for a fighter who struggled at the 122-pound limit could be just the tonic for Davies.
“Of course, a few pounds help. It’s not the weight, it’s how you make the weight, and I feel like I’ve done it good. I’m in a good position, and Saturday night, I get to put my name back under the lights and show everyone what I’m about. Remind everyone, should I say.”
Moving up in weight to face a man steeped in amateur pedigree could lead to some tricky puzzles to solve. Davies is under no illusions about what could be waiting for him on Saturday evening’s undercard clash, headlined by Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood.
“You get one go at this career, and I want to fight the best. It’s a good challenge, Kurt Walker; he’s unbeaten. I didn’t ask for the name, to be fair, I just said I want a proper fight, to come back with a name, and as always, I’ve never turned one down.
“So Saturday night, I get to prove myself against someone who ain’t lost as a professional yet. An Olympian. I’m fired up, man. Expect a big performance from Liam Davies.”
While Walker will be searching for a breakout win and a huge scalp, Davies could be aiming for a knockout.
“I can do, I don’t know. I think it could be a boring fight at times, but I want to get back to my boxing, remind people, because I had a few knockouts, and you forget about your boxing. I’m a very good boxer, and Saturday night, that’s going to come into play,” he said.
