LIAM DAVIES is unsure who will win between Dennis McCann and Peter McGrail on December 21 but he knows who he wants to.
McCann will defend his British and European super-bantamweight titles on the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury 2 undercard in Riyadh.
Since its announcement the trade has been buzzing at the prospect of the 122lbs clash and waiting in the wings for the winner could be Liam Davies. The 28-year-old returns on November 2 in Birmingham to make the first defence of his IBO belt against Shabaz Masoud. Davies acquired the belt in his last fight with a second round wipeout of Erik Robles Ayala to display further evidence of his punching power and world title credentials.
Davies, a former EBU super-bantamweight champion, is eyeing a world title shot in 2025 and if undisputed champion Naoya Inoue vacates the belts to move up to featherweight then Davies and the McCann-McGrail winner will be in the mix.
“It’s a great fight,” Davies told Boxing News. “I do generally think it’s a great fight. Fifty-fifty for sure.
“I’ve never fought either of them, but it’s stylistically very well matched. I think it could be a really good fight to be honest, to watch for the fans. It is a 50-50, but I’m team McCann.”
Davies’ thinking is quite simple. Both he and McCann are Queensberry fighters (McGrail is promoted by Matchroom) and a potential vacant world title fight between Davies and McCann should be straightforward to make.
“I like Dennis actually,” Davies commented. “I’ve got nothing against no one. We’re all chasing the same dream. I’m rooting for McCann for sure in this fight.
“It’s a real 50-50 so I can’t say. I couldn’t pick one, but I’m rooting for McCann. It makes sense for me doesn’t it? It’s a great fight, though.”