In a duel between two unbeaten British super-bantamweights, Shabaz Masoud’s discipline saw him silence critics with a skilful 12-round split decision win over the much-fancied Liam Davies during their Birmingham headliner – history repeating itself between local foes dating back to their amateur days.
Davies dented by savvy Shabaz
THROUGHOUT the build-up to this headline bout on Birmingham soil, a definitive trilogy after two amateur bouts six years apart, Liam Davies continued to tell anyone who would listen that he was a different man than the boxer Shabaz Masoud outboxed twice when both were amateurs finding their feet in the sport.
“He’s beat me twice so of course I want revenge, was in a bad place then but I’m a grown man now. That kid they fought back then would have never been in this position – it’ll be a different fight this time.”
In fairness, the 28-year-old was right in holding that belief. An in-form unbeaten attraction, full of confidence holding the IBO world super-bantamweight strap, with talk of unification fights and Saudi sunsets on the horizon, Davies could use the carrot of bigger nights ahead as fuel for this, his first main event billing.
Instead, he reverted to type and played perfectly into Masoud’s traps as his Matchroom-backed agemate kept him pinned back by a piercing jab, left hand that couldn’t miss and rendered him floundering as blitzing attacks didn’t land clean or wasted too much energy where he burned it off the back foot with inefficient activity.
Stoke-on-Trent’s Shabaz, a national amateur champion hampered by sustained periods of injury and inactivity, had highly-regarded coach Ben Davison walking him through the experience as the away fighter on a Queensberry bill. Eddie Hearn praised him with a short-but-sweet celebratory video call in the dressing room post-fight, another in a list of vindicated underdogs finally having their time in the sun.
That’s why once the announcer had read split decision scorecards, everyone was stunned. Davies couldn’t have won more than three, maybe four rounds at a big push. How did one deem he prevailed outright?
That’s a conversation for another day, the latest in a long line of confusing decisions those ringside aren’t being consistently held accountable for, in a sport where tomorrow nor any protections are promised for the main attraction.
113-115, 115-113, 116-112 were the official scores as Masoud seized a version of world championship gold at 122lbs, even if it’s not within the world’s four recognised sanctioning bodies.
Ranked #4 by the IBF now, he’ll have considerably higher standing when the rankings update elsewhere too, while Davies – who extended his Queensberry contract last month – will likely move up after reportedly struggling with weight in recent months.
“Behind the scenes, certain things didn’t play out for me but we’re here now, it’s time to put everything right. My best performances have come when I’m the underdog, when I feel like I’ve got something to prove… I always pull it off,” Masoud told BBC Shropshire in the build-up. How well has that quote aged now?
Picture source: Getty Images
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