Shropshire boxing received a massive boost as Telford starlet Liam Davies breezed into the final of the national ABA Schoolboy Championships.
Davies was expected to be given all the trouble he could handle by Travis Waters in their 38kg clash at Ashley Sports and Leisure Centre, Barnsley on Sunday.
But what looked, on paper, to beawar turned out to be something of a walkover, with the Donnington fighter romping home 9- 0.
In layman’s terms, ringside judges didn’t see Sunderland’s Waters landing a scoring blow.
It’s fair to say Liam didn’t encounter the predicted troubled Waters, if you’ll excuse the pun, beating the best around.
And on the form he showed against Waters, the 13-year-old stands a great
chance of lifting the title.
Coach Brian Davies said: “I thought it was an excellent performance.
“Liam took his time, which, sometimes, you have
to do, then went through the gears.
“He got a bit too involved a couple of times, but, overall, countered really well.
“Credit to Waters–he was a good lad and came to fight, but the gulf in experience showed.”
It was a huge gulf, too.
Davies was taking part in his 33rd fight (lost six), while Waters was stepping through the ropes for the 16th time.
Liam took a look at his opponent during a quiet first, banging-in enough jabs to lead 2-0 at the bell, but went to work with gusto in the second.
Tall southpaw Waters was punished by pin-point counters when he tried to press forward.
He did manage to lure Davies into mid-ring exchanges, though Liam always
had the last word.
To his credit, Waters – trailing 4-0 – came out guns blazing in the last in a bid to grab dramatic victory from the jaws of defeat.
He simply walked into more heavy ammo and was rocked by one powerful right hand as Davies dominated.
This was Liam’s sixth win on the title trail and he seems to have developed with each round.
Whoever meets him in the final, which takes place in two weeks time, will be facing a fighter on top of his game.
Even Davies, who has played down his fighter’s chances from the outset, admitted: “The Fat Lady’s finally reaching for her
song sheet.”
