Davis eyes Belfast win after a whirlwind year

After a whirlwind year, very few in the boxing world do not now know the name of Leeds-based boxer Ishmael Davis.

- by Tom Coates

Last September, the 30-year-old answered the call to fill in for the ill Liam Smith and battle Josh Kelly on a huge card at Wembley Stadium.

Three months later, he again filled in for a dropout as he took on the formidable Serhii Bohachuk in Riyadh, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s clash with Tyson Fury.

They were lucrative opportunities and undeniably raised his profile but, after back-to-back defeats, the time has come for Davis to return to normality.

Tonight (Saturday) he is scheduled to lock horns with Caoimhín Agyarko, who is a highly-rated and unbeaten Matchroom prospect, for a light-middleweight affair at Windsor Park in Belfast.