Ishmael Davis is confident of defeating former WBC interim junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk in their 12-round co-fight on Saturday at the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 card in Riyadh.
Although Davis (13-1, 6 KOs) has only fought and lost to one world-class fighter (Josh Kelly) during his six-year career, he feels he has the boxing skills to beat Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) defeated ) by a decision.
That’s what he wants. He’s not going to try to knock Bohachuk out, which makes sense because he’s not a big puncher, and he doesn’t throw combinations. Davis is brought in on short notice after Bohachuk’s previously scheduled opponent, Israil Madrimov, pulled out due to illness.
Ishmael feels that Bohachuk is not that good of a fighter inside and thinks he can outbox him at any distance. He will have to do this because he will be chopped up if he slows down or if he stands still.
One Trick Pony?
“I’m in the best shape of my life. He is a good pressure fighter. I don’t think he’s the most skilled, but he puts pressure on people. When he gets the respect he wants, people crumble,” said Ishmael Davis iFL TV about Serhii Bohachuk. “He’s not going to be able to do that with me. I am ready for a real war.
“I know what this fight is for me. This is a great opportunity. This guy is #6 in the world at world level. When I beat this man, I don’t want a British title. I took a lesson from the Josh Kelly fight. I wasn’t really prepared for that fight. I am prepared for this.
“I know I will win on Saturday night. I don’t care what anyone says. He’s not a better boxer than me, and I don’t believe he’s good enough to beat me. He likes to come inside. I don’t think he’s really that good on the inside. He’s kind of a one-trick pony. What you see is what you get,” Davis said.
Bohachuk is going to put a lot of pressure on Davis and try to turn the fight into an ugly war. Davis says he’s ready for war, but we’ll see if he’s serious.
Davis’ game plan
“He’s going to throw a lot of shots at you, and you either make him pay, or he makes you pay,” Davis said. “I saw him being stopped. I’m not going for the downtime. I’m going to win, but I only see myself winning this fight. After beating Serhii I’m going down the world route and not the UK route.
“It’s a big challenge because there are killers up there, and they have loads of experience that I haven’t got. I like challenges,” Davis said.
