The phrase: ‘There’s no rest for the wicked’ will always ring true for certain fighters, not least British and Commonwealth super-welterweight champion Ishmael Davis.
It was only last September that Davis suffered his third defeat on the bounce, losing a contentious split decision to Caoimhin Agyarko on away soil.
The following month, though, ‘The Black Panther’ ended his win drought in a six-round tick-over fight, before claiming a unanimous decision victory over Sam Gilley in November.
Now gearing up to defend his domestic titles against Bilal Fawaz – featuring on the undercard of Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington this Saturday – Davis has hardly afforded himself a moment to breathe.
Speaking with Boxing News, the Yorkshireman revealed exactly how much time he was given to rest and recover over Christmas.
“I had four days; four days until Christmas. But it was good, man. All the kids were happy.
“Being a dad [of seven] while you’re an athlete is hard, because you’re always training. And I’m proper busy, always taking fights, so it’s hard, but I spend as much time with them [his kids] as I can.”
Indeed, Davis always seems to be taking fights; and in the wake of his loss to Agyarko, the 30-year-old felt as if he had no option but to jump back on the horse.
And while such a quick turnaround would usually present more problems than benefits, Davis insists that his ability to recover between fights is almost superhuman.
“I’m ‘The Black Panther’, man. I’m a young, strong man; I’ve still got age on my side.
“After the Caoimhin fight, I had a dip in emotions because I knew I won and got robbed, so I told myself to get straight back to training.
“Sometimes you’ve got to make sacrifices, and that’s what I did. One thing I always say to myself is: ‘at the end of the day, that day’s got to end.’ You’ve got to keep going; life goes on.”
Having previously lost to Serhii Bohachuk and Josh Kelly – both on short notice – Davis is eager to properly test himself at world level, this time with the luxury of a full training camp.
First, he must take care of business against English champion Fawaz, a fighter he has been preparing for by sharing rounds with standout amateur John Joe Carrigan.
“I know I belong [at world level] but I know there’s still a lot of work to do, because I’m still learning.
“I’ve been sparring John Joe [Carrigan], who’s a seriously talented kid. He’s a tough battle but I keep going back, keep sparring him, because he’s so skilled.
“I’m not stupid – I understand that, to be better, you’ve got to get better opponents and better sparring partners.”
With Kelly claiming his IBF world title last month, dethroning dangerous puncher Bakhram Murtazaliev, Davis hopes that a rematch will materialise in the not too distant future.
“I didn’t know him before we fought but he’s Josh Kelly – he’s flashy – so I was thinking to myself, ‘I need to beat this guy.’
“But then I’ve gone and sparred him, have had a chat with him, and he’s gone through similar things that I’ve gone through.
“So he’s an all right guy, but he’s in my weight [division] and has beaten me before, so I need to get my revenge.
“He boxed well [against Murtazaliev]. Everyone wants to see you stand and bang, but Josh Kelly can’t stand and bang with that guy. I wouldn’t even stand and bang with him. Well, I probably would, but I’m different.”
Davis suffered a majority decision defeat to Kelly in 2024 but, in the final round, was able to hurt his man with a ferocious onslaught.
