Article was first published in the October 24, 2024 issue of Boxing News
by Shaun Brown
ROBBIE DAVIES JR did not want to be a stepping stone for some up-and-coming prospect. If his career began to stumble down that path he would have retired.
After his memorable defeat to Sergey Lipinets in May, a fifth career loss, no-one would have been surprised if the colourful Scouser called it a day. But such was his display and resilience the 35-year-old still sees daylight and the potential of more big fights.
On November 1, Davies will be in Belfast, specifically the SSE Odyssey Arena, to fight Dominican Javier Fortuna at super-lightweight on a Pro Box card. The 34-year-old’s career is in a similar position to Davies’ and a fifth defeat of his own could spell the end for ‘El Abejon’.
“They gave me a few local names, like, the odd Irish kid and the odd British kid. I don’t want to name any names but they didn’t excite me at all,” Davies told Boxing News.
“If I’m going to be fighting I like to be in with names who have been at a certain level. And Fortuna’s been in with some of the best like, [Joseph] Diaz and Ryan Garcia. There’s loads of fighters when you go through his list. He’s a very technical, sound fighter and I’m looking forward to it.”
Davies is at a stage where his reasons for carrying on boxing differ from years ago. Winning still matters and ambition never dwindles but nowadays it’s more about the love for the sport. Now into his 12th year on the circuit, Davies has gone through the good times and the bad in his 28 fights to date.
On the horizon is a new career outside of the sport. For now, however, he will keep punching as long as the big fights keep coming.
“I know what’s next if I beat this fella,” the self-managed fighter said.
“It’s a continuous roll of big fight, big fight, big fight. I couldn’t even say to you I’m doing this because if I get to this [big fight], I get a big payday and I’m just going for that. I just love it.”
When asked who could be next Davies wouldn’t divulge but it’s clearly a fight and fighter that excites him and keeps the career pulse beating. But before that…
“I’m going to spark this fella [Fortuna], I’m not messing.”
The spectacle of Lipinets vs. Davies could be repeated if the Liverpudlian gets his way. As well as choosing not to be used to benefit someone else’s career he doesn’t want to spend 10 or 12 rounds chasing an opponent around a ring.
“I just can’t be bothered with that,” Davies said. “But if you want to mix it up, they’re my type of fights.
“I feel like I’m going to have a lot of advantages in the fight. I know anyone I can hit, I can hit. I showed that in my last fight, I had Lipinets hurt numerous times.
“I think in all my other fights, I’m always the same, so, depending on how he takes them and how he recovers, it’s going to be [put] on him. But I’m going to be there for the full 10 rounds, pushing for it, definitely.”
Davies Jr is a former British, Commonwealth and European super lightweight champion. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Something else Davies is pushing for is to put together a life beyond boxing. Initially he thought he would stay involved in sports or move into personal training but an unlikely alternative landed at his feet after a suggestion from his mother. She had initially been helping out at a local food bank and told her son that there were not enough youth workers in the area and eventually he fell into it.
“I do a lot of work with kids that have been neglected,” he said.
“I’ve been doing courses for years [and] I work with Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) and make sure kids are getting treated correctly whether it be because of neglect, whether it be because of abuse. I started it because I was doing it part-time at the local youth club. The kids are now asking me to go and watch school footy matches and stuff like that. And then their dads tell the kids, do you know he’s a boxer? It’s escalated from there.
“At first I was only doing it voluntary, because my mum had something to do with the place, and I was just helping my mum out, and it’s just went on from there. The people who’ve worked there, without blowing my own trumpet, have said, you’re great with them kids, would you never think about doing it? And then I started having a look at it, but there was obviously a lot of qualifications that needed to work with kids, and being in boxing, I have had so much free time for so many years.
“I know working with kids, when I can help them, or just do that 1% that [it] might make something better for them. It’s rewarding as well.”
But Davies’ competitive spirit never dies even if he’s playing football with the kids.
“I’m like Ronaldo against a 10-year-old, and I’ll skinning them all,” he said laughing.
In any walk of life having something to fall back on is critical. Shoot for the stars but ensure something is there for you to land on if you miss the target. Davies has won British and European super-lightweight titles and is now mixing it with former world title challengers and champions.
He has already began his level 4 GNVQ in child social care which can take up to two years to complete. Working with younger individuals who have been dealt a harsh hand in life has opened Davies’ eyes up more so than what he has seen in boxing.
“It’s endless how much you can do to help kids,” he said.
“You don’t realise how some people are struggling until you’re actually there.
“It’s some sad stuff. No matter how much you can do, you will never help or fix them traumas but you can help with that 1%. It’s rewarding for yourself while working. Also, with the time needed and how much I have to do, I can obviously still do my boxing as well, which I still love, so it’s a good balance, what I’ve got at the moment.”
Davies is an energetic presence whether you’re speaking to him over the phone or in person. It’s easy to see why a job in Child Social Care would work out for someone of his character and personality. But his life was going in another direction a few years ago when the desire to run marathons took over.
Having suffered a leg injury during his March 2023 bout against Darragh Foley – resulting in a third round TKO win for the Irishman – Davies needed time to recover. He predicted that he’d be back running the roads three months later, medical professionals thought otherwise.
A bored Robbie Davies clearly needs extreme cures and that August he completed his first marathon.
“I signed up for my first marathon on two and a half weeks’ notice, obviously not knowing what it takes to do a marathon,” he recalled. “I done Chester marathon and my body just fell to pieces.
“I had 60, 70-year-old fellas on the run, tapping me on the shoulder saying come on, young man, you can keep going. And I’m saying I’m f***ing dying here,” he laughed.
“From then I thought I’m going to proper get into this and then I done New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, back-to-back marathons. Then I done Manchester to Liverpool, 50 miles, ultra marathon. Then I done London, I’ve done a few now.”
Looking back on his career Davies doesn’t believe he’s underachieved but there is a feeling inside him that he could have done better. A conversation which prompted him to briefly burst into singing ‘Ooh La La’ by The Faces which features the line, ‘I wish that I knew what I know now…’.
“I remember when I was younger I was going on lads’ holidays every year, no other fighters were doing that,” Davies said.
“They were, solid, zoned into boxing. I probably enjoyed my life. And then when I turned professional and started zoning in a bit more and won titles and stuff like that.
“If my career ended right now I’d probably say I was happy, but I’ll always have things hanging over me saying, I would have done this and I should have done that. But I reckon loads of fighters do that.”
