OHARA DAVIES cut an emotional figure after taking a decisive step closer to fighting for a sanctioning body title. Famed for his powerful right, it was the left hand which took him to victory over Lewis Ritson in their WBA super-lightweight final eliminator in Newcastle.
He put Ritson down in the ninth with a left hook to the body the home hero counted out by referee Howard Foster.
The 29-year-old required lengthy treatment in the ring by medical staff before getting to his feet to congratulate Davies, who, showing great restraint and respect, had not celebrated victory.
But once the Forest Hall man had recovered, the Hackney star said: “When I first got into boxing, becoming a world champion was my dream.
“I’m getting close to my dream. I’m going to achieve my goal and my dream and become a world champion.
“I caught Lewis down there as part of the gameplan. We realised his body was open but he’s got a great guard. He kept on going and I went to the head and he didn’t budge.
“My coaches said to keep going downstairs and I did it and it worked. I’ve sacrificed my life for this.”
The 31-year-old added that what people were seeing now was the true Ohara Davies, not the man previously seen as an enfant terrible of British boxing.
“I feel like I’ve been acting a lot of my career,” he said. “I grew up watching Floyd Mayweather and I wanted to imitate that but it’s not me. I like Lewis Ritson and his family, there was nothing but respect.”
As for Ritson, the 29-year-old told BN afterwards that a second world title eliminator defeat has shown him that the very highest level is probably out of his reach but will assess some new targets.