After Saturday’s Victory, Who Are Some Potential Opponents for Liam Davies?

What is next for Liam Davies after defeating Nathaniel Collins on Saturday?

Davies (19-1, 10 KOs) suffered his first defeat to Shabaz Masoud at junior featherweight nearly two years ago, then promptly moved up in weight. Since his first loss, he has handed Irish Olympian Kurt Walker his first defeat and has now dished out a one-sided beating to Collins. Davies is showing promise of being a world-class boxer, after all, but some are writing him off as a potential British domestic-level journeyman.

The problem is simple: featherweight is the new middleweight, and that isn’t a good thing. Featherweight has become an inactive division. Let’s look at the champions: the IBF belt is held by Angelo Leo, who is scheduled to return in the fall but missed out on a fight; his opponent, Ra’eese Aleem, missed weight. WBO beltholder Rafael Espinoza also hasn’t fought this year; Bruce Carrington won his WBC title in January, and Brandon Figueroa looks like the division’s overachiever, with a win over Nick Ball in February and a return set for next month against Tomoki Kameda.

So despite how good a fighter is, your opportunities are only as good as the division you compete in. For Davies, it is a waiting game.

Let’s look at some potential opponents

Shabaz Masoud

Masoud now fights at featherweight. He made his divisional debut last week. It could be a headlining bout in the U.K. and set the stage for a big fight.

David Picasso

The former Naoya Inoue opponent from December would be an intriguing name to get in the ring with Davies, especially if Inoue moves up to featherweight. It would serve as an interesting stay-busy fight, but Picasso holds a higher BoxRec rating, making it a serviceable attraction.

Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez

“Chop Chop” looks to be the goods. The problem is that without ESPN, Top Rank can’t run as many shows. Gonzalez feels he is ready for a world title shot, and fighting Davies overseas or on a bigger card at some point would be intriguing, even if Gonzalez would be a sizable favorite.

Yan Santana 

Santana looked mortal against Cristian Cruz in May. He hasn’t fought since. Santana had people brimming with his potential, and now he finds himself in a similar situation to fellow Dominican countryman Rohan Polanco, with neither having a clear path forward. Both fighters are ready to challenge for titles but are awaiting a chance. A fight between Davies and Santana could be a good contender bout.

Brandon Mosqueda

Mosqueda won the WBC Grand Prix last year, and, like many of the winners, did little with it afterward. He has fought once in Mexico. A bout between him and Davies is a good sink-or-swim test for both.

Lucas Ketelle

Lucas Ketelle is a boxing writer and podcaster who has appeared on various platforms throughout his career.

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