Matchroom fighter Ishmael Davis plans to win the British and then the European belts at junior middleweight.
Davis had impressed in November when he defeated Ewan McKenzie, and then he was lined up for a tough bout with former British champion Troy Williamson in March earlier this year.
Williamson was soundly beaten, and speaking to BoxingScene, Davis made it clear he had expected to win.
“I knew I belonged there anyway. I’ve been there in the gym and I’ve been sparring ex-world champions and high-class operators. I knew I had it in me. I’m a fighting man and I don’t believe another man can beat me. That’s how I go into every fight,” he said.
The win moved him on to 13-0, and as an eliminator for the British junior middleweight title, it puts him in line for another tough test.
He reflected on the lessons he drew from the experience, explaining: “I learned a lot. I’d never done more than eight rounds so I learned how to pace myself through a fight and I know that I can do more now,” he said.
“It was like stepping into the unknown, but now I know I’m fit enough for 12 rounds, I’m ready to build on it and be a bit more aggressive. Obviously, Troy’s a hard man to get rid of – that’s why nobody has done it. My future opponents are gonna get it though.
“It’s like doing a new circuit. The first time you do it is all unknown, you’re unsure what’s happening or what’s coming next. The next time you do it, you’re a bit better at it. I’m ready now.”
He is plotting his future and he has an ambitious plan. The 29-year-old is hoping to win the British and then go on for the continent’s title.
“I’m going the British route. I want to win the British but also win it outright. Then I want to go on to the European. That’s just the plan we’re going with,” Davis added.
“Everyone’s fit, aren’t they? The difference is your IQ and your boxing brain. I don’t think anybody’s gonna be touching me, really. I’m very confident in myself. I think all boxers should be confident anyway. I don’t look at another man and think, ‘Oh yeah. He’s this or that.’ I might look at somebody and think that I might have to bring a few different tools out of the toolbox, but there’s nobody really who I’m scared of or thinking may beat me.
“There’s a lot that people haven’t seen that they’re about to see. Be ready.”
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