Exclusive:Ishmael Davis v Bilal Fawaz: Leeds boxer says 'it should be an easy night' in Nottingham
After his momentous victory over Sam Gilley in November, Leeds boxer Ishmael Davis decided he wanted a break.
Blood, sweat and tears had been poured into the British and Commonwealth title win, which followed a period in which the 30-year-old lost three consecutive high-profile bouts.
After taking a string of challenges head on, with admirable disregard for the danger of blots on his record, few would have begrudged him some time away from the ring.
"After the fight, Sunny Edwards said 'do you want that fight [against Bilal Fawaz]?',” Davis told The Yorkshire Post. “I said I wanted a break.
"After a couple of days, I was bored, so I said yes.”
Ishmael Davis on Bilal Fawaz’s last battle
Boredom has therefore thrown Davis into the path of Fawaz, who wrestled the English super-welterweight crown from Junaid Bostan in October.
Rotherham’s Bostan is a highly-rated prospect but found himself being repeatedly rocked by the 37-year-old, who refused to relent in a frenetic affair.
For Davis, controlling the chaos will be key if he is to hold on to his new belts.
“I'm a different fighter to Junaid,” he said. “No offence to Junaid but I believe I'm the better fighter.
"I'm a man as well. I feel Junaid let him get on top of him a bit in that fight. I'll be the one on top. When someone brings a bit of heat, I turn it up even more. It's just a case of being myself and going in there knowing there's levels to this.”
Limiting chaos
The meeting between Davis and Fawaz has been given the chief support slot ahead of Josh Warrington’s reunion with Leigh Wood at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
It may have been given such prominence due to its potential for fireworks, with Davis and Fawaz hardly known for their reserved manners.
Limiting the entertainment level may not be the former’s primary objective but the unfolding of a spectacle is not something that would suit the defending champion.
"It'll be a tough test if I make it a tough test,” he said. “I understand the level I am and I know about boxing. Hopefully, I go in there and be the best I can be and it should be an easy night.
"When you look at Bilal, he's done some good stuff in the amateurs. This is a 12-round fight. He's never been 12 rounds. I've had loads of 12-rounders now.
“I'm tremendously fit right now. He's saying he feels I'm just muscle and he doesn't believe I've got the skill. If I could have become British and Commonwealth champion on just muscle, I need to do more weights.
"I know what I'm coming to do. I'm going to let him do all the talking because he loves to do all that stuff. He's not going to be able to get in my head, which is one of his gameplans. I just need to go in there and do the business.”
Reaching new heights
When he defeated Gilley, Davis ascended to a level many had decided was beyond his reach.
Just months on from a career high, he is keen to show he is far from the end of his journey upwards.
"I just feel like I've got more gears and I've broke those mental barriers with how hard I've trained,” he said. “As soon as that fight was over, I said it was time to take it up a notch now."