Boxer Liam Davies to Compete at Featherweight Following First Professional Loss

Shropshire boxer Liam Davies has made the decision to transition to a higher weight class after experiencing the first defeat of his professional career. Since turning professional in December 2018, Davies had competed in his previous seven bouts at the super-bantamweight division, weighing 8 stone 10 lbs. This move comes after his loss to Shabaz Masoud in Birmingham on 5 November. Masoud, a long-standing rival from their amateur days, was acknowledged by Davies as “the better man on the night.” Having relinquished his IBO super-bantamweight belt, the Telford fighter now intends to compete at featherweight, which is nine stone. The 28-year-old Davies admitted that he has found it challenging to meet the 8 stone 10 lbs limit for his most recent fights. “I don’t want to use it as an excuse as it’s not,” Davies told BBC Radio Shropshire. “But it was tight. The weight did kill me. And maybe the last couple of fights before that too. Maybe I should have made the decision earlier.” Between fights, Davies, who resides in Donnington, typically weighs 11 stone, yet he has been training to enter the ring more than two stone below that. “I’m five foot 10 and I’ve been fighting at eight stone 10. It’s just one of those things you do in boxing. You manipulate the body. You’ve done it before, so you think you can do it again but it take its toll on the body – and you don’t want to try it if you don’t want to feel permanently hungry.” He added, “Even nine stone at featherweight will still be tough but those four pounds make a big difference.” Davies also expressed his hope that a New Year training camp in Tenerife will help him better manage his emotions in future contests as he prepares to return to the ring. “I don’t know if my emotions overtook my boxing,” said Davies, who confessed to getting involved in a pre-fight war of words. “I’m a man. I wear my heart on my sleeve.” He continued, “A lot went wrong but I’ve just got to accept it. But that’s what life is about. Having setbacks and learning the lessons from them.” Davies concluded, “I’m still chasing the dream – but it will just be at a new weight.” Liam Davies received consolation from the victorious Shabaz Masoud following the initial loss of his professional career. While Davies focuses on rebuilding his career, Shabaz is already looking ahead with high ambitions. His uncle, Mo Fiaz, who is the head coach at Wellington Boxing Academy and was previously part of Shropshire world super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall’s backroom team, remains a key figure in his corner. “Thank God I’ve still got the same people around me as I had at the start,” he remarked. “I’ve never had yes men in my team.” He further explained, “If something’s going wrong they tell me how it is and I’m truly blessed for that. I won the title on Saturday, I was back in the gym on Monday and Tuesday. That is why I’m getting so much success.” Shabaz emphasized his future goals: “For me, it’s just the start. I’ve always said I don’t just want to be a world champion, I want to be a multi-weight world champion and I’m not satisfied yet.” He also spoke about his faith: “My religion, Islam, teaches me a way of living. You pray five times a day. You have to be disciplined to do that. I genuinely think it does help me become a better person.” He added, “What Islam teaches in terms of the way you treat people, the way your character is, that’s a big thing. I feel like in boxing, a lot of people who meet me say I’m a nice guy because I follow the rules properly.” Reflecting on the sport, he stated, “Boxing is one of those sports where you can make it. From nothing, you can become something. That’s the beauty of boxing.” He concluded, “You get people from all kinds of backgrounds. Everyone comes together. In the boxing gym you’re just another fighter.” Liam Davies and Shabaz Mamoud provided these comments during an interview with Mark Elliott of BBC Radio Shropshire.