Ishmael Davis v Caoimhin Agyarko: Leeds boxer stepping back to move forward as he prepares for Belfast bout
After a whirlwind year, very few in the boxing world do not know the name Ishmael Davis.
Last September, the 30-year-old from Leeds 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.
Tomorrow night (September 13) he will lock horns with Caoimhín Agyarko, a highly-rated and unbeaten Matchroom prospect, for a light-middleweight affair at Windsor Park in Belfast.
Stepping back to move forward
"This is the level I should have been fighting at before those fights,” Davis told The Yorkshire Post. “I don't regret taking those fights, because I believe everything happens for a reason, and it's also made me a better boxer.
"But this is the level I should have been at, and I believe I should be at, to grow and prove my position in the light-middleweight division.
"Coming back down to this level, it gives me a chance to gain more experience and go through the gears.”
After consecutive losses, the need for Davis to bounce back is clear. There is important context to be considered when analysing his last two outings, but the boxing world can be unforgivable when records are blotted.
Ishmael Davis looking to return to winning ways
"I need to win,” Davis conceded. “Because of the British title, but also because I've lost the last two. It's time to get back on the winning horse and get things right.
"I just know the main thing is you get the win and you're on to bigger and better things.
"I'm not just saying it because I'm at this fight, but it's the best camp I've had in terms of preparation. Everything's clicking, I've been working hard. I'm just feeling ready to shine."
Most importantly, Davis needs to show the world they do not yet know the real him - even if they think they do.
"Everyone knows who I am now,” he said. “But they're going to know what my boxing's about on this night.
"A lot of people know me from those fights because it was on a big stage, but they didn't get a chance to see Ishmael Davis, the Black Panther, after a full camp.
"Everyone's going to know my name and they're also going to know what I'm about. They're going to see a finished version after a full camp."